Interview With Artist Vivian Cavalieri
Congratulations to Vivian Cavalieri for earning her place as a Winner in the Monthly Art Award December 2024 Edition!
Who are you?
I grew up in Manhattan with an American-born mother and a Venetian father, speaking both English and Italian. Though I attended school in New York, most childhood summers were spent in Venice, which deeply influenced my aesthetic, particularly my color palette and my proclivity to blend beauty with whimsy.
I was exposed to art at a very young age. Chinese ceramics and European paintings and antiques decorated my parents’ New York City apartment and, from the time I was three, my father would take me to visit a gallery or museum every Saturday. But my path to creating art was not a conventional one.
At school, I was exposed primarily to painting and drawing. Sensing that I did neither particularly well, I never considered becoming an artist. So, upon graduating from college with a BA in art history, I entered law school. I remained connected to the art world as an attorney for New York and Washington, DC law firms that represented major museums and cultural institutions. And I regularly visited galleries and museums.
Retiring from the practice of law after 17 years, I began designing multi-strand necklaces, unconsciously mirroring the opulent and joyful Venetian style and even redolent of the torsades so prevalent in Venice during my childhood. While the torsades were composed of numerous twisted strands of tiny, identical Murano glass beads, my necklace designs incorporated a range of other materials including amber, abalone, shell, semiprecious stones, and freshwater pearls. In memory of my father, each design contained least one bead of Murano glass.
Ten years later, large necklaces were no longer in style. I decided to try integrating portions of necklaces still in inventory into conceptual assemblages as a way to use objects designed exclusively for their beauty to raise awareness of global issues that resonate with me.
“What Price Silence”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
What inspired you to utilize 3D mixed media as a medium?
I enjoy creating order out of chaos, combining unexpected materials and achieving balance through juxtaposition of color, form, and texture. This was my approach to necklace design.
Inspired by the shadow boxes of Joseph Cornell, I decided to create framed small-scale assemblages that combined segments of my necklace designs with a range of other objects.
“On The Rocks”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
How would you describe your work?
A combination of eye candy and blade. More inclined to whisper than to shout, I encourage viewers to approach by creating small-scale, attractive works that trigger a conversation. A custom frame reaches out to embrace the viewer, and museum glass gives the viewer the illusion of being present at the scene. But each work is designed to make the viewer think about a topic.
“The Lotus”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind your winning work?
As the daughter of an immigrant, I am keenly aware of the conversations worldwide regarding immigrants and immigration. While The Diner (Coming to America) is rooted in my father’s story, it is a broader reflection on the aspirations of starting anew and the sacrifices made in the process.
I selected the 1950s diner as an iconic symbol of America — as familiar as the Statue of Liberty but less commonly considered a symbol of immigration. In this familiar environment, I inserted symbols of why one would leave and what leaving one’s homeland entails. Disguised as a business license on the wall is the portion of my father's 1939 US visa application that states that he was fired because he was Jewish.
“The Diner Coming To America”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
Can you walk us through the technical steps of creating your winning work?
Step 1: Selecting the miniatures.
I collected dollhouse miniatures of 1950s diner furniture — booths, counters, square and round tables, stools and chairs. I calculated how to fit a grouping within the confines of the 4” deep custom wood frame, reserving the rest for another project.
Step 2: The backdrop and flooring.
Knowing I wanted to simulate the black and white flooring of many diners, I experimented with several paper and plastic versions before settling on one and selecting a backdrop that blended with the overall tones.
Step 3: Woodworking.
I created a base and backdrop to which furniture could be securely attached.
Step 4: Documents.
I reviewed my father’s immigration documents to select a portion to appear as a “business license” in the background. I used Photoshop to fit it within the confines of a dollhouse picture frame.
Step 5: I completed the scene with found and purchased items.
“Staycation”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
What do you hope to communicate to an audience with your work?
I hope to raise awareness for what unites us rather than what divides us by encouraging empathy.
“SOS”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
Can you talk about your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your work?
The Diner (Coming to America) is one of many assemblages where I struggled with the forces of gravity and the confines of a 4” frame. I was attracted by the silver and red of the dollhouse miniatures but had to limit my design to a few items in a particular configuration. I then faced some difficulty in attaching the miniatures securely. My initial attempt to secure them to the base was unsuccessful, which necessitated a redesign. I now tend to use the backdrop for support rather than relying on the base to hold components in place.
“Hope (The Guiding Light)”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?
Early in 2023, I was approached by the Northern Irish art gallery Hambly & Hambly to participate in “Woven”, a multi-disciplinary project the gallery was planned to present later that year in the US and in France. Six of my assemblages were chosen for the project. After six weeks at the Sasse Museum in Los Angeles, “Woven” traveled to Dampierre-sur-Boutonne, France for 10 days of musical, theatrical, and visual art programs organized by the gallery. Requested to select a poem to accompany one of my assemblages, I chose a Rupi Kaur poem to be read in front of “What Price Silence?” I had the honor of having the poem read by the esteemed Irish actress Orla Charlton at the opening of the exhibit. The exposure to accomplished artists in different fields invigorated me and inspired me in creating art when I returned home.
“War & Peace (Ivy & Orchids)”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
Can you give us the best piece of advice you have ever heard/received?
Understand what you most want to get out of creating art — personal satisfaction, exhibitions/sales, a sense of community, etc. — and pursue only those avenues and opportunities that are likely to lead to success as you define it.
“War & Peace (Code Girls)”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
As a winner, do you have any advice for artists who want to apply for awards, competitions, residencies, etc.?
While it may be a numbers game, you can tilt the odds somewhat in your favor by approaching opportunities intentionally. To avoid wasting your time and potentially irritating judges, carefully research the sponsoring organization and the theme/requirements for each submission. Will this opportunity forward your goal for creating art? Is your art a good fit for the sponsoring organization in terms of theme, sales price, medium, age, gender, etc.? Should you wait for a different opportunity with this organization?
“Memories From The Attic”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
What projects are you working on currently? Can you discuss them?
My current focus is on creating installations based on my assemblages. I am currently working on two and have plans for a third.
Immigration. The Diner (Coming to America) — The assemblage itself is small — 13” x 19” x 4”. I am working with a fabricator to create a life-size version of this assemblage where visitors will be encouraged to write down their family's reasons for being willing — or having — to start anew and the sacrifices made in the process. These narratives will highlight the personal tales behind the immigration statistics. I am currently investigating the audio/visual requirements for recording stories and the accessibility requirements. With those in hand, I plan to search for a location for the installation, ideally a museum or gallery, possibly with a connection to immigration or resettlement.
Climate change.
Staycation — The assemblage shows a standoff between a polar bear standing on blocks of quartz resembling ice and a whelk that lives in temperate waters. The whelk is carried towards the polar bear on waves of warming ocean waters. I am redesigning the standoff to be placed atop a block of ice within an 18” cubed glass aquarium. As the ice melts, the rising water will approach the polar bear. I am currently considering whether this installation would be more appropriate as a time-lapse video or an installation where people could see the slow progress of the ice melting.
Ocean acidification and rising water temperature
SOS — This assemblage references the messages that stranded travelers would place in a bottle and set adrift on ocean waves in the hope of being rescued. In SOS, it is the sea itself that begs for help. I am structuring an educational presentation aimed at children who, envisioning themselves as the ocean, will place messages in bottles asking humans for help in fighting increased warming and acidity. The messages in the bottles will be collected and remain part of the installation.
What is your dream project or piece that you hope to accomplish?
My dream project is to convert The Diner (Coming to America) into a traveling installation.
“Transformations (From Bibendum to The Michelin Man)”
Mixed Media
By Vivian Cavalieri
Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists, what is your advice?
Make art that resonates with you, regardless of whether you think there is an audience for it. If you put your art out there, constantly and intentionally, you will eventually find an appreciative audience, or it will find you.
To view more of Vivian Cavalieri