James Maybe

Valerio Carrubba slices open faces and bodies to reveal hyper-realistically depicted innards. Anatomically correct or not, the results are certainly attention grabbing. The details, including lushly rendered backgrounds, are masterfully drawn. No doubt there is some point behind these paintings, waiting to be revealed like the guts of Carrubba’s subjects, but I’m willing to let this be another unsolved mystery. Though far more talented, I’m even tempted to view Valerio as one the many artists who are recognized simply because their style is so clearly recognizable.  Instead I’ll reserve judgment here use the phrase I keep hearing everywhere I go, the deeply meaningless mantra of our time: “It is what it is”.