| THE IRONMAN COMETH BY TERESA LEE RUSHWORTH native Italians. Since a stint in a foreign army was not on the agenda of this aspiring American artist, he had no choice but to return to the United States. But the year in Milan had been well-spent; in addition to a valuable cul- tural experience, he had gained much practical knowledge about art restoration, a cornerstone of Italian art education programs. When the Liccione family relocated to Florida in 1975, James accompanied them. He completed his formal educa- tion by earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Florida Atlantic University and a Master of Fine Arts from Florida State. With time and a variety of experiences, his artis- tic preferences evolved. Having begun with painting and drawing, for which he still maintains a strong fondness, he shifted his attentions to sculpture, an art form that his natural abilities seem to favor. The next transition, from wood to metal, occurred initially for practical reasons: fine wood of the kind used H, for quality sculpting projects is very expensive for the proverbial starving artist; moreover, metal sculptors seemec1~ to enjoy more plentiful employment opportunities. These H circumstances proved fortuitous, as Liccione fell in love with the process of heating and manipulating metal and watching it take shape into a unique work of art. "Working with wrought iron out of the forge is very organic," he explains. And the process is more dynamic H than one may imagine. While the artist must conform to a preconceived idea when working on a commissioned piece, H in his non-commissioned works he has the freedom to al- low the metal to lead him to unexpected places. But always Pineapple Chair satisfies both Liccione's love of the tropics and his pen- chant for creating art furniture. The steel frame is fitted with a leaf-shaped seat adorned with a copper pineapple. This piece belongs to Vero residents Harvey and Margot Kornicks, who own several of Liccione's works. Art with a message: Save the Rainforest begins with wrought iron and evokes o tranquil, tropical mood with its wooden leaves and bananas. It is a perfect. manifestation of the inspiration Liccione finds in nature. It stands over six feet tall and is also owned by the Kornicks. VERO BEACH MAGAZINE JANUARY 2007 182 THE IRONMAN COMETHBY TERESA LEE RUSHWORTH |
BY TERESA LEE RUSHWORTH VERO BEACH MAGAZINE
Pineapple Chair THE IRONMAN COMETH VERO BEACH MAGAZINE JANUARY 2007
THE IRONMAN COMETH VERO BEACH MAGAZINE JANUARY 2007
Save the Rainforest |
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