Daniella Napolitano
Shared Spaces

​

The Batesville Area Arts Council presents Shared Spaces, an exhibition by Daniella Napolitano, at the BAAC Gallery on Main (226 E Main St) August 13 - September 28, 2024. A closing reception will be held on September 27, 2024, from 5 - 7 p.m. with a Members Only Happy Hour at 4 p.m. This exhibition is sponsored by FutureFuel Chemical Company.

​

Exhibition Statement

Through a collection of recent print works, I delve into the intricate narratives of animals navigating and adapting to the ever-evolving urban space. Step into a world where hawks hunt between parking decks, coyotes stealthily traverse highways, and grackles ingeniously scavenge amidst backyard barbeques. Each piece in this exhibition captures the resilience, resourcefulness, and sometimes even the whimsical interactions of these urban dwellers.

 

Artist Statement

“An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but
great fulfilment.” – Sir David Attenborough, famed natural historian
I am at my happiest when I am learning about, talking about, or interacting with animals.
Animals are my primary subject matter that I explore through scientific research, personal reflection, and societal perspectives. These themes originate from my childhood curiosity about the natural world and, most recently, humans’ relationship to it. The combination of the two has grown into narratives of every-day wildlife in our immediate surroundings—even the often overlooked or infamously loathed “trash” animals.
I liken my creative practice to that of a natural historian informed by ecology, biology, and natural history research. I observe animals and plants, translating the information I learn into a “popular” rather than “scientific” form; visual narratives that incorporate factual information with a whimsical approach to animal behavior. My earliest influences have been children’s books that distill knowledge in a way that is fun for the reader and, therefore, more memorable. I combine a research-based methodology alongside personal experiences with the animals I observe. I take simple pleasure in sharing moments with the animals that live in my immediate, urban surroundings. By highlighting these “ordinary” animals in my work, I remind the viewer that they share a space with wildlife.
Print media allows me to express both emotional and factual aspects of the animal world. Through relief printing, I can tell a straightforward narrative reminiscent of illustrations in posters or textbooks while reflecting on my intimate connections with the animals through more immediate applications like monotype and pochoir. I utilize photogravure, etching, and aquatint to offer a more nuanced and subtle exploration of the theme, appropriating techniques used in historical text such as Audubon’s Birds of America.

​

Biography

Daniella Napolitano is a printmaker, designer, and art educator living and working in Phoenix, AZ. Drawing inspiration from nature and ecology, her art explores the diverse and complex relationships between animals, humans, and the environment. Her current body of work focuses on animals commonly seen throughout the Sonoran Desert Region specifically animals that live near humans. Napolitano uses print media to express both emotional and factual aspects of the animal world. Because she is inspired by biologists and science communicators who make complex information more accessible to the public, printmaking’s history in connection to the spread of mass communication plays an important role in the concept of her work. She received her bachelor’s degree in Studio Art at American University in Washington, DC, and her Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. Her work has been shown in nationally and internationally including Washington, DC. Cincinnati, OH, Phoenix, AZ, Tempe, AZ, Florence, Italy and throughout Arkansas.