EXHIBITING Soho Galleries, Sydney
"Art is a language, an expression of the soul. I would feel lost if I
didn't have a brush in my hand and an inspiration to transpose. To me,
art as a poet or an author feels words; expressing this creativity, to
make people laugh, to make people cry - or simply give exquisite joy! it
gives me permission to step outside the constraints of my habitual life
and release the essence of who I am." Joanne's unique, contemporary
paintings are highly sought after and appreciated with their mirror like
finish,. Many hang throughout Australia and overseas.
Joanne Villani is an artist with a difference. She is obviously a
talented painter within her chosen medium of mixed media with highly
textural finishes. This is evidenced by her many awards and sold out
exhibitions, but what make Joanne different is her perception of art.
What is art? How does it function in life? Who can it influence or
effect?
And to what end? These are all questions that Joanne Villani wants to
explore. She wants to push the boundaries and investigate how art can
change peoples lives.
"I love to paint, it is in my soul, I would feel lost if I didn't
have a brush in my hand and an inspiration to transpose. But art is not
just something to hang on a wall. It's not just someone's emotions,
vision, and expressions on a canvas to be traded as a commodity. I see
art, as a poet or an author see words. They are simply the building
blocks that can be skillfully crafted to make people laugh, to make
people cry, to cause a riot or to change the world. Art is a language,
an expression of the soul. It gives people permission to step outside
the constraints of their habitual lives and release the essence of who
they really are or who they really could be."
Joanne wants to share this with people and show them that art can
provide them with a mechanism to change the perceptions of who they are,
how they act and who they wish to become. "It's not about being all
'arty' and dissecting the psychology of releasing your inner self, it
is much more practical and tangible than that." Joanne explains. "I have
seen how art can revitalize a persons life. I have been teaching people
to paint for 20 years predominantly women and I consistently see these
people ignite a new facet of their personality that they never new
existed. Baby boomer mothers who are now empty nesters and are
experiencing an enormous void in their lives suddenly realize that they
are a creative being, that has the ability to learn new skills and
concepts and that they can connect with others and from this artistic
trigger point in their lives they realize the possibilities that can be
opened up to them and excitement enters where there was previous
abandonment and fear of their futures."
This is just one example of how Joanne uses art to effect life
change. Another that is dear to her heart is community projects. With
2010 being is the Year of Women in Local Government, Joanne Villani in
conjunction with the City of Charles Sturt and Councilor Angela Keneally
Ambassador for the Year of Women in Local Government, through the Women
in Art project, are giving local women an opportunity to explore
aspects of being a woman as well as the issues and challenges that women
face. Participants will have opportunities to make choices about their
project and increase self-esteem as they discover new skills. The ten
week project, which is purposefully interactive, includes opportunities
to enhance communication and social interactions. Personal art pieces
will be exhibited at a public exhibition night to be hosted by the City
of Charles Sturt as part of the South Australia Living Art (SALA)
festival. The majority of these women are recent immigrants with no
real interaction and connection with the community. Over these ten weeks
they will make new friends, discover new possibilities in a new world
and change their perceptions on what life is and how it can be lived. "
In a project like this I use the old story of the boy on the beach
throwing the jelly fish back into the sea, the old man comes up to him
and says there are tens of thousands of jellyfish washed up on the
beach, you will never be able to make a real difference. To which the
little boy picks up another one, throws it back and says, it sure made a
difference to that one. In the same way, this project may not change
the communities perceptions of immigrants or art as a medium for change
but it sure makes a difference to the women involved in the project."
