Al Serino

As a painter, Al Serino tends to work in the realm of grounded and realistic. But if you know anything about this artist, that might not come as much of a surprise.

Serino’s works are steeped in Americana; the places he paints are all uniquely his own. Whether it’s an old barn with broken timbers or a small country church you can almost smell the fresh air and feel the sunlight on your face. It’s an artist’s rendering that feels so real because it is. These aren’t just images from his imagination but memories from childhood and a part of him that will always remain rooted in those simpler times.

Born in Queens, New York, Serino moved west to spend time with his grandparents on their small farm in Monterey County, California at age 10. Although they briefly moved back east again when he was 13 years old, this second temporary move back to New York made Serino appreciate more than ever what he had left behind – including his first love - drawing and sketching as well as painting. After finishing high school there, he headed off to study art at The Art Institute of Seattle but later transferred to San Diego State University where he graduated with a BFA degree (2000). Since then, Al Serino has gone on to exhibit his artwork nationally and internationally alongside many other respected visual artists such as Greg Coats, Ed Enders, Stephen Fassl, Charles Billich, and Will Henry.

In fine art, the term 'landscape', from the Dutch word 'landschap', a patch of earth, describes any painting or drawing whose "main theme" is the representation of a panoramic view. Such a landscape encompasses meadows, hills, mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, forests, coastal views, and seascapes. The represented view can be that of a real place, or it can be an imaginary or idealized scene.

As a landscape painter, Al Serino is constantly searching for that special something in nature or in man-made structures that can stimulate his imagination and perhaps translate into a memorable painting. This talented artist paints in plein air whenever possible. Abela always carries a camera or sketchbook on his travels, later translating his visual experiences onto canvas.

Here, Al Serino explains the early beginnings of landscape art and its position in the genre hierarchy.

Landscape was a genre established in Chinese art in the 4th century AD, but in Western art, landscape painting did not really begin until after the Renaissance Art era in the 16th century. Of course, many painters, from Roman times onward, had included scenic views in their paintings, but these were secondary to the painting's main theme. The main problem with the landscape was that it ranked very low in academia.

This hierarchy, which crystallized during the Renaissance, worked as follows: (1) painting of history; (2) Portrait art; (3) Genre painting, that is, scenes from everyday life; (4) landscape; (5) Still life. These rankings were definitively established in 1669 by Andre Felibien, the secretary of the French Academy, in his Preface to a series of published lectures that he delivered to the Academy. Therefore, the art world, including its patrons, teachers, and artists, did not take landscape painting seriously and attached greater value to historical works, portraits, and genre images. Furthermore, the Renaissance (and later the 'neoclassical' and academic schools) followed Greek art by giving primacy to the human body, especially the nude. In comparison, the landscape was not an event.

Landscaping in painting became an autonomous genre in 17th century Dutch painting. Previously, in the 16th century, Flemish and German art used landscapes to extol characters. In the Baroque, landscaping was established as a genre in Europe. In southern Europe, a religious, mythical or historical anecdote was still needed as a pretext for painting landscapes. In the 18th century, an artist like Canaletto stands out within the landscaping, while in the XIX century, in the romantic era, landscaping became the main protagonist, and impressionist artists and generations of abstract style were influenced.