Vito Bonanno, Jr.
Other media: Drawing, Collage, Installation, Found material
756 Chapel Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Phone: 860-349-0232
Neighborhood : New Haven: Westville
Email: vito (at) justgui (dot) com
Website: http://www.vitobonanno.com
Artist Statement
Vito Bonanno is a New England based urban artist, collaborating with several other artists, melding different styles with his world of obsessions, autistically inspired cast of characters, street symbols and pop culture images. Bonanno's work represents a new Americana, where art takes to the streets in renegade murals and canvases where Bonanno's imagination meets graffiti and world events.
Bonanno is a 28 old young man with autism. Everything he draws have meaning to his psyche and his day to day life. His art is unedited and bold and helps him to express the many emotions that many autistics have trouble filing away neatly in the mind. Vito finds relief from stress and anxiety by putting those feelings down in the form of images, writings, people, places and characters he has created to protect him from some of the challanges that life throws at all of us.
Selected Works
|  Flying to JFK - 2010 - mixed - 22 x 30  Do Not Open - 2010 - mixed - 22 x 30  Osama's End - 2010 - mixed - 22 x 30  Traffic Light - 2011 - AP Screenprint - 12 x 14  God Goes To A Jets Game - 2011 - mixed media on canvas - 12 x 12  Untitled - 2011 - mixed media on canvas board - 6 x 12  Traffic Lights - 2011 - mixed media on canvas board - 6 x 12  untitled - 2011 - mixed media on canvas - 12 x 14  Floating Traffic Lights - 2011 - mixed media on canvas - 12 x 12  untitled - 2009 - monoprint - 20 x 30 |
Artist Bio
Vito is a 2004 graduate of Chapel Haven, a New Haven based school for young adults with cognitive disabilities. He currently takes art lessons at the Creative Art Workshop in New Haven and is a member of Artspace. He lives mostly independently and has two part time jobs.
Vito won an Award of Excellencein 2009 for two of his printmaking works from a juried contest named Accelerate sponsored by Volkswagon and VSA Arts, an organization that promotes and supports arts for people with disabilities. Vito was 1 of 15 finalists chosen out of 236 entrants. He has been asked to attend the award ceremony in Washington DC in October 2009, and his work will be featured in exhibitions at both the Smithsonian Institution's S. Dillon Ripley Center and the Kennedy Center's Hall of States and then will commence on a two year tour to college and university museums and art galleries across the country. One of the award winning pieces, Southhaven People, is listed on this site.
Vito is now represented by Margaret Bodell and Umbrella Arts and recently his work was shown and sold at the Sanford Smith Outsider Art Fair in New York City. His work is being shown in and around NYC and CT over this year. Visit his website, www.vitobonanno.com or his facebook fan page to keep up with his current events.
This summer his work can be seen at ArtHampton and Umbrella Arts, NYC. This fall he exhibits at the Art and Antiques and Americana Exhibition, NYC.
In 2012, Bonanno will unveil his first solo museum exhibition at Akus Gallery ,Eastern Connecticut State University and also will exhibit at the Metropolitean Show, NYC.