Art as Process - A Conversation with Domenick Naccarato

Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast

This week, Ben is joined by guest host Keith Garubba to interview this week's featured artist, Domenick Naccarato.

Starting off the show, Ben and Keith talk about what Keith has been up to. Later on, they talk with Domenick about his process, inspiration, and much much more.

Domenick Naccarato began his professional career in 1998 after receiving his BFA in Fine Art from The College of New Jersey. He has spent time wearing several different hats over the past two decades including that of a web designer, web developer, graphic designer, creative director, marketing manager, and product manager. The single role that has been the common thread behind all of this, is that of Artist. Naccarato moonlights out of his basement workshop and studio, producing art that has been exhibited in and around the Lehigh Valley for the past 9 years. His style has been described as contemporary industrial and he is regularly included in seasonal shows at Connexions Gallery in Easton, PA, has exhibited at Bethlehem House Gallery in Bethlehem, PA and has also been included in a number of solo, curated, and juried shows throughout the Valley. He currently sits on the board of the Lehigh Art Alliance and is also a member of the Arts Community of Easton. Naccarato resides in Lower Macungie with his wife and two teenage daughters.

Naccarato’s contemporary, industrial style is achieved with compositions that are the result of his approach to combining paint, text, found objects, and a variety of other textures and non-traditional mediums. He uses a variety of techniques and processes to create the work and build up textures that include everything from sanding layers of joint compound to coating surfaces with roofing tar. His processes are purposeful, taking brand new hardware in some cases, and adding a patina of rust on the metal to make it appear as if it had aged over years. Not one to be content with just painting, he’ll often add graphic elements of fragmented words and numerical references, or other assemblage and collage elements to his pieces. These items can take the form of reclaimed pallet wood, wire mesh, or perhaps brown packing tape. And his love of hardware is evident too. With the addition of large bolts, rusty nails, or brackets, his pieces quickly become three-dimensional in nature.

For more information about Naccarato, or to see his work, check him out on instagram, @domenicknaccarato, or check out his linktree at https://linktr.ee/domenicknaccarato.

This week's opportunity of the week is for Allentown Art Museum's Cocktails and Collecting, which will be held on Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 6-9pm.

This stylish evening in the galleries offers access to an extraordinary array of more than twenty emerging and established artists, from painters and print makers to fashion designers and jewelry makers.

The artists will be on hand to explain their creative process and answer your questions about their art—an enjoyable way to start or grow your collection. Along with original art you’ll experience the culinary creations of Sumac Catering, a specialty cocktail by Black River Farms, Lehigh Valley Style’s Style Wall, and live-spun music by DJ Brad Scott.

Or stop by Sunday, November 7th, from 11 till 4 to meet the artists, listen to the sounds of DJ Brad Scott, browse original works of art, and wander the galleries, all free. For more details, go to AllentownArtMuseum.org.