Trinity 2017

Camilla d'Errico made this painting, "Trinity," using acrylics on a smooth panel. The smooth, almost airbrushed surfaces give this a decidedly post-digital aesthetic. At first glance, it’s easy to imagine it as a purely digital creation. The subject is a girl with eyes closed, a wreath of flowers upon her head. Watery, swirling striations of color cascade down around her face and into a pool, a bit like dripping paint or clay. Atop her head are three brightly colored bees, blue, red, and yellow. The execution is super-clean, with tight control over the gradations of color. However, it’s important to recognize that this effect is not achieved by automation. This is all done by hand, by skilled labor. In this painting, the artist is not only the originator of the image but also its fabricator. By carefully manipulating the acrylic paint, d’Errico gives a nod to both the digital world and the tradition of finely crafted illustration.