Sunrise over the Hall of Horrors, JTNP

by Andrea Bartine Caldarise

Andrea Bartine Caldarise is a landscape painter investigating the psychological connection between people and the environment. While wandering about a landscape, Caldarise seeks with the mind’s eye, noting first impressions to in the studio as source material. As she develops the painting themes, Caldarise researches plants, folklore, and geological histories to locate through-lines with her first impressions. With this process, she aspires to weave a lived experience with artist-created source material and research. Her artwork is situated in transitional moments, examining ephemeral qualities of a landscape to craft an experience of discovery for the viewer. Each space seems like something, or someone has just arrived at the scene. Caldarise’s paintings position environments as entry points for open-ended narratives drawing on the collective consciousness. Her paintings evolve over time, possessing a mutable yet distinct character — akin to the changing impressions one gets when revisiting a favorite book. The experience alters with each encounter, enriched by previous engagements. By investigating various viewpoints: historical, personal, and imagined, we can create empathy within our ever-changing world. These paintings are derived from experiences within the social and physical environments around us. Using the language of landscape, her art explores the tension between real and surreal.