Pino exhibition wows collectors

Upon opening its “Pino: An American Master” exhibition at its Southfield, Michigan location, Park West Gallery wowed visitors with more than 77 works by the late artist.

As the representative for Pino’s estate, the gallery’s exhibition is considered one of the largest collections of Pino’s artwork since the artist passed in 2010. David Gorman, Gallery Director for Park West Gallery, said visitors can view works from a master who revolutionized illustration with his unique style.

“He had a very interesting style for creating, and like Norman Rockwell, really blurred the line between fine art and illustration,” he said.

Dozens of collectors and art enthusiasts have viewed the 77 works of art exhibited on two floors of gallery space. The artwork includes oil on board illustrations for book covers, unique colored pencil drawings, oil paintings on canvas and limited-edition, hand-embellished giclees on canvas.

David Gorman, Gallery Director for Park West Gallery, speaks to collectors about Pino’s artwork.

Park West VIP collectors Mike and Tina Audette drove from Maryland to see the exhibition. They said Pino is one of their favorite artists, and were astonished by the amount of art on display.

“I’m amazed! I did not expect to see this many,” Tina said. “We’ve actually been to other galleries that have Pino and you’re lucky to see three or four.”

The couple said they not only enjoy Pino’s style, but also the range of emotions and nostalgia evoked by his paintings of elegant, beautiful women and mothers with children.

“I see family, and that’s what drew him to me,” Tina said. “The first one I saw reminds me of me and my mom, and then I got another one that reminds me of me and my son.”

Pino (born Giuseppe Dangelico) was a child of post-World War II Italy. He studied at the Art Institute in Bari and perfected his talent for painting figures at Milan’s Academy of Brera. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1978 with his family, Pino was hired by multiple book publishers to create cover art, painting nearly 3,000 cover designs in his lifetime.

Visitors to Park West Gallery view the many works of Pino on display for “Pino: An American Master.”

“Illustration is not what it once was,” Gorman said. “Everything is done digitally these days, it’s not oil painting on board. This was a unique time in illustration history and Pino was at the forefront of an era.”

In the ‘90s, Pino switched from illustration to a career in fine art, focusing on the female form. His subjects convey deep emotion, causing the viewer to pause and wonder what they’re thinking.

Max Dangelico, Pino’s son, said in the time since his father passed, he has never seen such an extensive collection of both unique and limited-edition artwork by Pino in one place like that of Park West Gallery’s exhibition.

“It’s just my pleasure to be here to share all this work on his behalf,” he said.

Max Dangelico, Pino’s son, talks with collectors about his father.

The passion portrayed in Pino’s paintings is genuine, which is evident when listening to Dangelico describe how Pino was just as devoted to being a husband and father as he was to his art.

“I’m blessed to have him as a father,” he said. “He loved my mom, he loved my sister, he loved me, he was a great family man, and that’s all that matters in this world today is the family unit, and people forget about that.”

Many of the works in the exhibition are limited in number, with some being the final few in an edition. This will be the exhibition’s only venue, so take advantage of the opportunity to discover and collect this master artist and illustrator.

The exhibition is free to the public. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. For more information, call 248-354-2343 or visit www.parkwestgallery.com.