Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti at his home/studio

For Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti, there is an unremitting impulse to create. This compulsion has propelled him through multiple art degrees, years of work printing with Mauricio Lasansky, and a masterful portfolio of his intaglio prints. However, every story must have its villain and, in Jon’s case, his nemesis is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. While initial symptoms left him with a gait disturbance, the progression of the disease has forced him to use a wheelchair. Hours spent hand engraving copper plates have been reduced to minutes as he no longer possesses the endurance for such activities.
Despite this, he persists – working on multiple projects, apportioning his strength to produce the images that inundate his thoughts.

With a keen attentiveness to detail, Jon’s recent works of ink on paper incorporate textures, lines, strokes, and motifs reminiscent of his print work with saturated color and considerable scale. Although abstract, the images convey vitality, intensity, and evolution – a portrait of their creator. Atlas: Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti’s Recent Work, will be on display for the first time at the Muscatine Art Center with an opening reception on Saturday, January 19th, from 1:30 – 4:00 p.m. The exhibit will be available January 17th through March 24, 2019.