Nick Cerrato and Robert Maniscalco Propose Collaborative 'Adventures in Wonderland' Exhibition
Nick Cerrato, an abstract expressionist from South Carolina, and Charleston artist Robert Maniscalco have revealed plans for a grant application and an exhibition titled "Adventures in Wonderland," showcasing Imaginary Realism. This project merges Cerrato's foot-painted abstract expressionism with Maniscalco's expressive realism, exploring themes of trauma and inequality. Their partnership originated when Cerrato encountered Maniscalco's piece "Cassandra" at the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition. Each artwork is developed through discussions and sketches, emphasizing shared authorship. The exhibition will consist of five movements and approximately eight collaborative pieces. Maniscalco's memoir, An Unstill Life, will accompany the exhibition, which will tour primarily in Charleston and the Southeast, including the Gibbes Museum of Art. A South Carolina accessibility grant application is due by March 27.
Key facts
- Nick Cerrato and Robert Maniscalco propose a collaborative touring exhibition titled "Adventures in Wonderland" of Imaginary Realism.
- The collaboration began after Cerrato saw Maniscalco's painting "Cassandra" at the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition in Charleston's Marion Square.
- Maniscalco later saw Cerrato's paintings at Public Works Art Center in Summerville.
- Cerrato paints with his feet and has cerebral palsy; his marks are intentional artistic choices.
- Maniscalco positions paint, then Cerrato manipulates it with his feet, creating surfaces up to an inch and a half thick.
- The exhibition is structured in five movements: Silence and the Trusted World; The Divided Interior; Voice and Witness; Quench and the Common Good; and More Real Than Real.
- About eight collaborative paintings exist as of the proposal.
- Maniscalco's memoir-in-progress, An Unstill Life, his seventh book, will accompany the exhibition.
- Prospective venues include the Gibbes Museum of Art, Public Works, Charleston City Gallery at Waterfront Park, and the Halsey Institute.
- Touring will focus on Charleston and the Southeast, with exploration of Detroit and New Jersey venues.
- A South Carolina accessibility grant has a deadline of March 27.
- Cerrato began painting with his feet in 2011 at age twelve.
- Maniscalco was born in Detroit in 1959, founded Maniscalco Gallery in Grosse Pointe in 1997, and hosted Artbeat on Detroit Public Television.
Entities
Artists
- Nick Cerrato
- Robert Maniscalco
- Joseph Maniscalco
Institutions
- Maniscalco Gallery
- Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition
- Public Works Art Center
- Gibbes Museum of Art
- Charleston City Gallery at Waterfront Park
- Halsey Institute
- Wayne State University
- Circle in the Square
- New Renaissance Chamber Artists
- Carnegie Hall
- Detroit Public Television
- The Quench Project
Locations
- Charleston
- United States
- Marion Square
- Meeting Street
- Summerville
- South Carolina
- Detroit
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Grosse Pointe
- New York
- Haiti
- China
- Italy