This Week • December 14 2003

Capturing faces and gestures

Few Maltese artists manage to live from their art but Catherine Cavallo, is one that has decided to take the plunge and dedicate herself to her passion. Critic EV Borg has written that when much younger Cavallo was: "mesmerised and spellbound by the language in observing faces and human gestures." And Cavallo has remained enamoured of figurative art and her paintings capture those faces and gestures. Currently exhibiting at Cleland and Souchet, at Portomaso in St Julian’s. Cavallo trained in the UK and established herself in Italy, but has exhibited in Malta from time to time. Julian Manduca caught up with her this week.
I believe you have had a passion for art from a fairly young age – what pushed you in that direction?
I was born with a passion for art and never considered doing anything else with my life. It was that passion that pushed me in the direction I am following now.
Few Maltese artists can live from their art. What else occupies your time?
Actually I am a full time artist now. Truth is, it is also thanks to my husband Simon - who also paints – who encouraged me to drop whatever else it was I relied on for income and concentrate full time on painting; which in fact is the best thing to make it work financially as well as on a creative level. Of course it means no slacking or stopping for more than a few weeks break a year. You've got to paint consistently to keep the creativity flowing, as opposed to waking up and then deciding if the inspiration is there or not, as some people tend to believe. Ideas come more freely the more you work.
You studied in the UK, what are your memories of those times now?
Well, though I loved being an art student I still remember how homesick I felt for the four years I studied fine art in London. The one thing that really kept me there was my love of painting and my determination to graduate from art school. There were lots of good times, of course. I always remember with gratitude my very talented tutors for the wealth of knowledge they passed on to me, and my fellow students, some of whom are now established artists and a few of whom remain firm friends till today.
What impact has Italy left on you and your art?
Quite a big one on my art, I believe. For one it introduced me to the pleasures of landscape painting surrounded as I was by some of the most inspiring scenes I have ever laid eyes on. It changed my palette for another, the previous darker blues, greens and sombre greys giving way to the rich warm and vibrant hues of the Tuscan countryside. These colours pretty much dominate my palette till this day.
You have not ventured into abstract art or installations. Why not? And to what extent, if at all, do these forms influence you?
As far as I am aware they have not influenced me at all. I have experimented a little with abstract and montage, but so far still find my real challenge and satisfaction mainly in figurative work while always deriving great pleasure from painting rough seas and landscapes. If I feel the challenge starting to fade, then I think I will venture into fields that have not as yet enticed me.
Do you follow the works of contemporary artists? If so, who are those you admire most?
Simon and I travel mostly for the benefit of our art which often means finding what exhibitions are on in which countries and planning a holiday accordingly. So that is the most I do in following art, contemporary or otherwise. In Malta there are a few artists I admire, though I do not often get to see their works.
Where do you see contemporary art going to in the next decades?
I think today pretty much everything has been done under the heading of ‘art,’ so artists are – or should be - free to follow any direction they choose without accusations of being too old fashioned or too avant garde. The important thing is that artists remain true to themselves which is the way to achieve the best results. I do believe that its important to stay fearless with your art, after all fear is the most inhibiting emotion and can stop you from taking those exciting leaps and bounds.