Chris Mazzarella
Chris Mazzarella was a fine art photographer, designer, and painter residing in Bradford, Vermont. Chris passed away in May 2024. He is survived by his two beautiful sons, and a large, loving collection of family and friends.
Chris was an artist in everything he did. From his stunning fine art photography to the way he plated food or swaddled a baby, he took great care to infuse creativity and beauty into even the simplest tasks.
A native Vermonter, Chris began his career as a cabinetmaker, quickly becoming well-known for his high-end furniture designs. His passion for art led him many places, but photography was always home for him—just as Vermont was. His work conveyed a deep love of place, capturing the quiet beauty of everyday life in the Green Mountain State and beyond.
Chris’s ability to find meaning in the small, intimate details of life touched many people. His legacy lives on through his art, his children, and the countless lives he inspired. He will be deeply missed.
To honor Chris’s memory, Chris’s family is setting up a nonprofit arts education organization to bring access to the healing power of art to Vermonters young and old. Proceeds from the sale of his work will go to support this new endeavor.
PASTURE SERIES:
Chris’s new series of oil paintings entitled “PASTURE” feature a strident figurative style with cartoon-like imagery.
The series has been described as having “a precise and refined neo-expressionist aesthetic”.
Inspired by both the graffiti subculture of the 1980s and early post-modernist painter’s such as Hunt Slonem.
The primary subject of these works is a wide-eyed cow, stacked one upon another in various configurations. The blank gaze of the huddled cows appears to communicate a message to the viewer. A contemplative viewing can lead one to imagine the cows as a deliberately huddled pasturing herd; or conversely, as an overly crowded penned-in group of livestock. Chris intentionally leaves the viewer to decide if the composition is either playful or provocative.His graphically illustrated prints are derived from his own photographs taken throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. Chris recreates the scenes digitally to achieve a minimalist contemporary aesthetic.
COLORBLOCK SERIES:
Chris graphically illustrated prints are derived from his own photographs taken throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. Chris recreates the scenes digitally to achieve a minimalist contemporary aesthetic.
Chris’s works can be viewed in galleries around the Northeast including in Burlington VT, Stowe VT, Hanover NH, Woodstock VT, Dorset VT, Hartford CT, and Boston MA.
