Carpaneda's painting "Jesus Christ" was sold at the "Take Home a Nude" art auction at Sotheby's, an event organized by the New York Academy of Art. In addition, he has been selected for the Long Island Biennial 2024 at the Heckscher Museum of Art and received an award from the curator of the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum.
Mosh-Pit
Acrylic on Canvas, 16"x20", 2024
Shrouded Truths: The Dance of Denial
Acrylic on Canvas, 20"x20", 2024
I sometimes come across artists that I just have to let the world know about and Fernando Carpaneda is one of those artists, but be warned, because Carpaneda’s work is very confronting and will be not be to everyone’s taste. Those willing to keep an open mind and explore Carpaneda’s work will be glad they did because he is a truly amazing artist. A brave artist too. Brave enough to use rent boys, thieves, punks, goths, homeless people, and other unsavoury types as the subject of his work. If you are intrigued then please read on. When I first saw a picture of one of Carpaneda’s works I didn’t know what I was looking at. What I saw looked like a photo of a person but had a surreal element to it that suggested that there was more to Carpaneda’s work than the image revealed. As soon as I found out that I was looking at a clay sculpture I was completely blown away. The level of detail and the amount of work put into each sculpture is quite astonishing especially for a clay sculpture. To give each sculpture a personal association with the person they depict, Carpaneda uses objects connected to that person in the sculpture. Carpaneda says about his work on his website that: “All his portraits are like a relic, a holy place, a moment caught in time. He uses objects that have a connection to the portrayed person to composing his work, such as cigarette butts, condoms, beer cans, underwear, semen, empty toothpaste boxes. In other words, things that are part of these people’s real world, and his own. He uses such objects and remains as a beginning for his portraits” Most of the people we see on a day to day basis whether it be at work or at social event dress and prepare their appearance so that the look as one would expect a normal person leading a normal life to look. Most of the people that Carpaneda depicts, however, dress and prepare their appearance in a way that reflects their true personality. These are the sort of people one would normally want to stare at but would try and refrain from doing so because we are taught that it is rude to stare. Instead of depicting the perfect male figure that most people are familiar with as a result of classical sculptors, Carpaneda utilizes classical methods and materials to construct highly detailed analogues of what many would consider to be the outcasts of society. A classical sculpture of a nude male figure is an image that almost everyone is familiar with and is able to view without feeling uncomfortable, embarrassed or repulsed. A sexualised image of a homosexual male, however, is a totally different story. Carpaneda’s sculptures challenge our perceptions of gender and identity as well as questioning the labels that society put on people who do not conform to the accepted norm. Yes, his work is confronting and will not be to every one’s liking but it is undeniably the work of a talented artist who is not afraid of challenging the boundaries of artistic practice and confronting viewers with the issues of stigma and division in modern society.
Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of artmarketblog.com writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many others. July 6, 2009 (biography, arts news)
"Punk Rodin" Reinterpretation of Rodin Sculpture "The Age of Bronze" Water Based Clay, Mixed Medium.
Fernando Carpaneda's sculptures were featured in "On Our Backs: The Revolutionary Art of Queer Sex Work." The exhibition explored the history of queer sex work culture and its intimate ties to art and activism.
2024 - Arkell Museum.
Art of New York
2023 - The Long Island History Museum.
Perfect 10. The 10th annual members-only exhibition.
2023 - The Long Island Museum. SOMOS/WE ARE: Latinx Artists of Long Island
2022 - The Heckscher Museum of Art.
Long Island Biennial
2022 - Kenosha Public Museum.
The Acrylic International Biennial.
2019 - Leslie Lohman Museum of Art
"On Our Backs: The Revolutionary Art of Queer Sex Work"
2024 - Honorable Mention in Painting by
curator David Houston, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum. South Arkansas Arts Center
2019 - Award of Excellence in Painting by Art League of Long Island, NY.
2019 - Honorable Mention in Painting by Huntington Arts Council, Long Island, NY.
2016 - Juror's Choice for Visual Art at the Seattle Erotic Art Festival.
Fernando Carpaneda Sculptures Appear in the Award-Winning Film, "The Nearest Human Being". Directed by Marco Coppola, the film features actors Charlie Hofheimer, Natalia Dyer (Stranger Things), Robert W. Smith, Dan Shaked. The film won the best feature at the Manhattan Film Festival in 2019.
Fernando Carpaneda art works was on display at Times Square June 18, 2012 in giant screens bright LEDs during the opening of the exhibition ART TAKES TIMES SQUARE. The scale of the exhibition was extraordinary and seen by more than half a million people.
Carpazine: How did you end up on Long Island? Tell us a little about your early career and the influences that led you to where you are today.
FC: I come from an Italian family; I was born in Brazil but have lived on Long Island for the past 29 years. My first house was in Massapequa Park, where I lived with an African American family who has influenced my work to this day. Afterward, I moved to Merrick and have been living in Freeport.
My art is deeply influenced by the punk rock scene, LGBTQIA+ themes, and African American culture, carrying the spirit of rebellion, resilience, and identity. Although I didn’t grow up on Long Island, moving here immersed me in a diverse community. Freeport, in particular, is rich in culture, which has shaped my perspective as an artist. I’ve always loved Lou Reed, and since he grew up in Freeport, it holds a special meaning for me. In early 1995, I connected with CBGB and ended up scheduling exhibitions at CB’s 313 Gallery, the CBGB art gallery. One of the exhibitions, "Back to the Bowery," brought together some of the remaining artists from Andy Warhol's The Factory, as well as new artists who depicted the city's underground scene. It was a historic exhibition, and it was where I met Billy Name, who designed The Factory and was Warhol’s photographer, along with other artists from the 70s. Lou Reed and Billy Name were best friends, and Billy would often share stories about Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol. This further deepened my connection to Freeport, which will always have a special place in my heart. I became close friends with Billy Name, and we remained in touch until his death in 2016.
Carpazine: You had an exhibition of your work in Times Square, right? How was that exhibition?
FC: I exhibited paintings in Times Square. The paintings were portraits of friends and acquaintances, my own superstars. The works were shown on giant bright LED screens and were displayed on the screens of NASDAQ, Thomson Reuters, Clear Channel Spectacolor, and A2a MEDIA’s Port Authority. The opening of the event was attended by singer Twin Shadow, DJ’s AndrewAndrew, and musician Questlove from the band The Roots. The host of the night was Jimmy Fallon of NBC's Late Night show and the event was organized by Art Takes Times Square. It was a unique experience.
Carpazine: How was it to have your sculptures in the film The Nearest Human Being?
FC: It was a fantastic experience to see my sculptures in director Marco Coppola’s film. It won an award for best feature at the Manhattan Film Festival, and it is incredible. While filming, my friend: actor Robert W. Smith, made the connection between me and director Marco Coppola. The director liked my work, and he included my sculptures in the movie. Also, it was great to meet Charlie Hofheimer. I met him by accident when I arrived to leave my sculpture on the film set. So, I saw this guy there, and said, “Hi, how are you?” and shook his hand and talked to him a little bit. It was only after that that I realized it was Charlie Hofheimer. LOL. He was very cool. Charlie is in two of my favorite films. Black Hawk Down and The Village. I was happy to meet him.
Carpazine: How do you view the reactions from the conservative part of society in relation to artistic manifestations in the contemporary world and issues such as sexuality and discrimination?
FC: Art aims to promote freedom of expression and knowledge, however, not everyone has the knowledge and sensitivity to understand or discuss the subject. Conservatism and lack of information are recurrent. Our society is formed by people with different realities and lifestyles and we have no right to compel people to follow our reality, just as no one has the right to impose theirs on us. Human sexuality is complex and it is not up to anyone to judge it. I know people who have been sexually abused by pastors, priests, and family members and they obviously don't see the world the same way I do - If an artist's sexuality bothers you, think twice before criticizing or discriminating against it , because not everyone has had the same life as you.
Carpazine: How did you feel when you found out that one of your works would be auctioned at Sotheby’s? Also, could you tell us a little bit about your project with the Cathedral of the Incarnation?
FC: When I received the email from the New York Academy of Art informing me that one of my paintings would be auctioned at Sotheby’s, I was speechless and excited. The painting, titled Jesus Christ, reflects my relationship with religion, spirituality, and the human condition. While the title is simple, the image challenges viewers to reconsider their ideas about Christ and humanity. I aim for people to confront their preconceptions about what is holy, divine, and human.
The project with the Cathedral of the Incarnation, where I created the Stations of the Cross, has been deeply fulfilling. The series of miniature sculptures, each depicting a scene from Christ’s final journey, was embraced by the church, despite the tension between my more provocative work and traditional religious views. It’s something I’d consider doing more of in the future. The Stations of the Cross are currently exhibited at The George Mercer, Jr. Memorial School of Theology in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, in Garden City.
Carpazine: Tell me about your sculptures, you did some reinterpretations with classic art scenes. What was your inspiration to reinterpret Rodin's sculpture (The Age of Bronze)?
FC: I always loved Rodin's sculptures, and I always thought of making a hyper-realistic version of one of his works and I ended up being inspired by the work The Age of Bronze. My version was inspired by Keanu Reeves. I turned him into Punk Rodin. I have always loved Keanu Reeves, I like his character, his personality, and attitude as a person. I was inspired by a phase in his movie My Own Private Idaho which is one of my favorites. Eroticism for me is something natural and I show that in my works.
Carpazine: How do you see the role of tattoos in Punk Rodin?
FC: Some tattoos on Punk Rodin sculpture refer to the relationship between Rodin and Camile Claudel.
Carpazine: Homoerotic Art has always been part of the underground in the 20th century, recently it started to boom and to be part of the mainstream. How do you see this interaction between amateurs and queer art? Not all nude is art … or is it?
FC: I think that interaction and the boom in homoerotic material is happening in the same proportion as the boom that abstract, geometric or conceptual painting had. At the beginning of these movements they also suffered from the interaction of amateurs with contemporary art … not all contemporary art work is art … or is it?
Fernando Carpaneda at the Take Home a Nude exhibition at Sotheby’s. Photo by Matt Myers.
Fernando Carpaneda's exhibitions at CBGB's included "Back to the Bowery," "The Bowery Electric Festival: A Tribute to Joey Ramone," and "Vinnie Wartlip Retrospective." These exhibitions featured prominent figures from Andy Warhol's The Factory, such as photographer Billy Name, who designed The Factory, among others.
"Back to the Bowery" featured rare, never-before-exhibited 70's era photographs showcasing The Ramones, The Dead Boys, and more by John Santanello. The exhibition also included original photographs featuring The Velvet Underground & Nico by famed photographer Billy Name, and presented the artwork of Walter Steding. Additionally, the exhibition featured avant-garde violin performances and sculptures depicting punks, rent boys, junkies, thieves, and outcasts by artist Fernando Carpaneda, along with works by pioneer punk photographer Roberta Bayley. Also on display were rock and roll photographs and pin-ups by Mark Sweeney, NYC street photos by famed phantom photographer Josh Wertheimer, and works by "The Man Who Shot the 70s," the infamous Mick Rock. The exhibition included works by Interview Magazine/Warhol photographer and Night Magazine founder, Anton Perich, who was also the designer and builder of the electric painting machine. It also featured works by Elaine Mayes, author and photographer of "It Happened in Monterey," 1980's nightlife photographer Sharon Smith, and the mythic punk and beyond photographer Godlis. Celebrity News www.cbgb.com/
Owner and Founder of Carpazine Art Magazine.
New York, New York, United States
