Artist Focus: John Asaro

American Art Collector | November 2022

A closer look at the artwork of John Asaro

“The Lovers” | Oil | 44“×40“

“Spartacus Laments” | Oil | 22“×28”

John Asaro is among the most masterful figurative creators in North America. Complimenting the human form with broad bright swaths of color drove his passion to express his perspectives on canvas. Rushing in without fear to capture the urgency or delicacy of the moment, his work takes on a modern element through his enlightened sense and awareness of shapes, contrast and diffusion of color.

An attraction to movement and the human form led to a fascination with life on the stage. Forming this passion resulted in several series of dancers and bodies in motion. Claggett/Rey Gallery has been privileged to curate and host the debut exhibition of works from Asaro’s Spartacus Ballet series at the May Gallery at The Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Asaro’s love of classical music, fine art and his continued study of the human form merged with his admiration of composer Aram Khachaturian, resulting in this dynamic series. Asaro hired ballet dancers and posed them exactly like the dancers of the Bolshoi’s Ballet of Spartacus and the 40 created paintings in this series mimic the actual choreography of this ballet through the artist’s hand. His paintings are now on a stage of their own through December 2022.

“Claggett/Rey Gallery is honored to be representing John Asaro at this point in his life,” says gallery co-owner Margaret DeDecker. “At 85, he is still vivacious, thriving and consumed by creating every day he chooses to be in the studio, or out simply observing life with time in the field.”