Meet Cara De Angelis | Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cara De Angelis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cara, what principle do you value most?
Genuine and unaffected kindness. And the ability to see the world and others outside yourself.

These seemingly simple principles will shape the majority of our thoughts and interactions with others. I say they’re “seemingly simple” as it sounds easy, but are frequently cast aside by our human nature of viewing ourselves as the center, or sun, of existence. Add to it, that most religious and modern cultural beliefs feed into this instinctual desire.

Kindness for the sake of it alone — especially if it’s not reciprocated — that’s a godly act. And takes a lot of strength. I think the world needs more of it, and I don’t say this thinking I’m perfect at it. Every day I have this great desire to be my kindest self, and I don’t always succeed.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The overall theme of my work is the push-and-pull of human vs. animal world —- or as I call it, domestic vs. wild. This deep interest in our relationship with wildlife started in early adolescence, though mainly influenced my work about 10 years ago when I started bringing roadkill to my studio that I found on local roads and incorporating it into my work.

My painting practice has since evolved to include more than the roadkill we see on the sides of the road, though I still think it’s an extremely consequential side-effect of modern life. I’ve had a lot of intense experiences working with these dead animals up close, to say the least.

The paintings have become more and more allegorical and symbolic. They draw from many sources now— from pop culture, to Frank Lloyd Wright, to Hudson River School landscapes. Although the work isn’t overtly Dystopian or Utopian, I often hint at both as I’m convinced humanity is at the biggest fork in the road we’ve ever faced. We could go either way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The best things to do in New Haven are as follows:

Bark & Vine – An indoor plant shop for essential and rare plants, also cool sh*t like terra cotta and macrame planters. Can my house support any more plants? No. Do I still buy more? Yes.

Hulls Art Supply – Awesome independently owned art store and frame shop. There’s always a super nice and crunchy-looking art person to help you with anything you need. This is where I get my stuff framed if the gallery isn’t doing it.

Yale Art Museum – Obviously you need to see art when you’re here. We can also walk around the Yale area and try to determine if the people we see are Yale students or middle-aged librarians; since they both dress the same.

There are several good places to get bubble tea, which we’re going to need after all of the art-observing. My favorite is Vivi Bubble Tea, which is also right next door to Hulls, so yeah— convenient.

Firehouse 12 – Awesome intimate venue for contemporary Jazz and other weird stuff. I saw Okkyung Lee there years ago and it was one of the most transformative live shows I’ve been to.

Ordinary – Prohibition-style speakeasy. Also New Haven’s oldest tavern. You have to knock on this old Mahogony door… and space is limited. But if you can get in it’s so worth it for the gorgeous bar and wood molding details throughout. Sometimes it’s cool to step back in time. Oh— and they serve vintage cocktails, so enough said.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mentors and friends. Two professors in particular took me under their wings. They helped me believe what I am doing is worth my effort, and worth showing the world. They (and many of my friends) opened doors to opportunities for my growth and career advancement.

My first mentor was the artist Stephen Brown, who has since passed away, but we formed a real friendship and mentorship after he got over my audacity to argue with him in class on his opinions. I’ll always be so grateful for him and the fact he opened his office door to “this little sh*t” so we could talk about art and life after class and after graduation.

My other mentor is artist and musician Wade Schuman, who has been a regular source of inspiration and friendship since 2009. He is a Renaissance human who is brilliant at everything he pursues— and is also a beautiful and kind being.

I will always say thank you a million times to Gary Marotta Fine Art, and MM Fine Art for taking a chance on someone who paints roadkill, not the most marketable subject, because they believed in my work. And to Rob Lieberman who has been collecting my work for years and who I also adore as a person. I couldn’t ask for a better Medici.

Website: https://www.caradeangelis.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cara_deangelis/

Image Credits
All images are used with permission from the artist.