BIO
Daniella Napolitano lives and works in Phoenix, AZ. Drawing inspiration from nature and ecology, her art explores the diverse and complex relationships between animals, humans, and the environment. Her current body of work focuses on animals commonly seen throughout the Sonoran Desert Region specifically animals that live near humans. She received her bachelor’s degree in Studio Art at American University in Washington, DC and her Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. Her work has been shown in nationally and internationally including: Washington, DC, Cincinnati, Ohio, Phoenix, Arizona, Florence, Italy and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
STATEMENT
My work is a call to action for people to notice their animal neighbors and take the time to understand or appreciate them. The animals I depict are often overlooked, misidentified, or misunderstood. By highlighting “ordinary,” urban animals in my work, I remind the viewer that humans share a space with wildlife. I believe the first step to caring about something is knowing it exists. It is generally hard for people to think in abstract concepts but if you can point out an animal, call it by its name, and pass on information about it, then maybe steps will be taken to understand it better. I personally take simple pleasure in sharing moments with the animals I encounter every day, but it is an impossible task to try to get everyone to love every animal. However, I can hope to help people recognize an animal’s place in our shared ecosystem.
In his book Moonwalking with Einstein, Joshua Foer interviews memory grandmaster Ed Cooke who states, “The general idea… is to change whatever boring thing is being inputted into your memory into something so colorful, so exciting, and so different from anything you’ve seen before that you can’t possibly forget it.” I take inspiration from stories of encounters with animals that are so often associated with the city, they have been rendered invisible at best, a nuisance at worst. I often exaggerate, or add fantastical elements, or humor to these stories as an attempt to be more indelible and endearing to the viewer. Many of these “animal stories” are my own experiences and others have been collected from friends, acquaintances, and even internet forums. In this way, the stories are not only amusing but also relatable—almost everyone has an animal story.
Printmaking’s history is connected to the spread of mass communication and as such, plays an important role in the concept of my work. I am inspired by biologists and science communicators who make complex information more accessible to the public. My earliest influences have been children’s nature books that distill knowledge in a way that is fun for the reader and therefore more memorable. I now look to field guides for the same reason, likening my creative practice to that of a natural historian informed by ecology, biology, and natural history research. I observe animals and plants, translating the information I learn into a “popular” rather than “scientific” form; visual narratives that incorporate observation-based information with a whimsical approach to animal behavior.
Famed natural historian Sir David Attenborough said, “An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfilment.” It is my wish that viewers will leave this exhibition motivated to notice the animals around them and attempt to understand them better. If we begin to see urban wildlife as a part of nature, then we can find fulfillment in our everyday lives and be mindful of the world around us.
In his book Moonwalking with Einstein, Joshua Foer interviews memory grandmaster Ed Cooke who states, “The general idea… is to change whatever boring thing is being inputted into your memory into something so colorful, so exciting, and so different from anything you’ve seen before that you can’t possibly forget it.” I take inspiration from stories of encounters with animals that are so often associated with the city, they have been rendered invisible at best, a nuisance at worst. I often exaggerate, or add fantastical elements, or humor to these stories as an attempt to be more indelible and endearing to the viewer. Many of these “animal stories” are my own experiences and others have been collected from friends, acquaintances, and even internet forums. In this way, the stories are not only amusing but also relatable—almost everyone has an animal story.
Printmaking’s history is connected to the spread of mass communication and as such, plays an important role in the concept of my work. I am inspired by biologists and science communicators who make complex information more accessible to the public. My earliest influences have been children’s nature books that distill knowledge in a way that is fun for the reader and therefore more memorable. I now look to field guides for the same reason, likening my creative practice to that of a natural historian informed by ecology, biology, and natural history research. I observe animals and plants, translating the information I learn into a “popular” rather than “scientific” form; visual narratives that incorporate observation-based information with a whimsical approach to animal behavior.
Famed natural historian Sir David Attenborough said, “An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfilment.” It is my wish that viewers will leave this exhibition motivated to notice the animals around them and attempt to understand them better. If we begin to see urban wildlife as a part of nature, then we can find fulfillment in our everyday lives and be mindful of the world around us.