Last Sunday in Quarantine Creativity: Episode 1 - The Art of Isolation, we looked at how local visual artists were dealing with the impact of social distancing on making and exhibiting their art. This week, Times of Malta met with one of Gozo’s most popular contemporary artists, Bob Cardona, virtually of course, to ensure that the postponement of his upcoming exhibition due to the coronavirus doesn’t stop any of us from seeing his work. 

Skiathos Wreck

In the beginning, when virus-related cancellations first wiped cultural events from the calendar, it threatened to be a complete disaster for entertainment and the arts in Malta. But as time has revealed, there’s a lot more to the picture than first we imagined.

When it comes to the expressive arts, there is arguably more creative activity happening now than ever before, albeit behind closed doors. In fact, the ingenuity and resourcefulness emerging from this period of minimal human contact is proving newsworthy in itself.

As for the output, seemingly undeterred by cancelled shows, makers of art appear as prolific as ever and remarkably upbeat. For artists, the intense period of enforced isolation is proving, if not profitable, then fertile at least.

The public is seeing the brightly-coloured fruits of these labours popping up in abundance on social media, boldly and brilliantly defying the closures.

For artists whose shows have been cancelled, the internet is providing an alternative way   to reach their audience, and in the age of e-commerce and easy shipping, if the artwork is for sale, then it can still find a buyer.

Dwejra – Double Take

So let’s meet one of these industrious artists: Bob Cardona. This exciting painter first came to my attention some months back when he posted a striking ‘portrait’ of an old car in the Malta Artists Facebook group. The piece, GMC 100, was featured as the group’s cover image to a surge of appreciation. She was a gorgeous creature, paint peeling flirtatiously off her beautiful bonnet, her curves rusted to a deep red in sumptuous decay. Quite the muse.

When I learned Bob was planning an exhibition at Gozo’s Ta’ Mena Experience in Xewkija, I knew that people would appreciate an opportunity to see his work. We arranged to meet at his studio in Victoria but, when quarantine restrictions kicked in, we reverted to Plan B.

We set up an ‘open studio’ video call and, while Bob sat at his easel surrounded by his brushes and paints, we chatted remotely about his artistic process, his professional background and his fellow artists in Gozo.

Not only is he a skilled artist, Bob is articulate, engaging and  hard-working.

She was a gorgeous creature, paint peeling flirtatiously off her beautiful bonnet, her curves rusted to a deep red in sumptuous decay. Quite the muse

The third child of four born to Maltese parents in 1955, at the age of six, he moved with his family from St Paul’s Bay to Portsmouth in the UK. Later on, he would switch courses at art college from fine art to interior design, to then enjoy a decades-long career which continues to this day.

GMC 100

Having returned to Malta in 2016, he still works each day with clients in the retail sector, splitting his time between this ‘proper job’ and his fine art painting, which he does both to order and for his own pleasure. He hopes to eventually make the transition to become a full-time fine artist and is devoting considerable time and energy to achieving this goal.

For those intrigued to meet the man himself and view his work up close, the Bob Cardona Studio is located just off the café quarter near St George’s square in Victoria. The studio is both a gallery and a workspace, where Bob can usually be found beavering away on a piece, or chatting to visitors, in a small space adorned with original paintings and prints. He also accepts commissions, which range from portraits of people and pets, to landscapes and cars.

But while the genres might vary, the style is a constant. Bob’s subjects are depicted figuratively with what I’d describe as ‘expressive realism’, his carefully cropped compositions rendered in bold, bright brushstrokes and supercharged hues.

When it comes to commissions, the subject is naturally predetermined by the client’s brief, but when painting for himself, Bob is open-minded and always on the lookout for new subject matter. He begins by studying his subject, looking for the best angles of view to find the most interesting composition.

Bob Cardona and Laura Swale chatting remotely from home on a Zoom video call.

Then, working from photographs, he uses a drawing technique known as the ‘grid method’ to scale-up his chosen image and transfer it to canvas, using blendable coloured pencils. Working with acrylic paint, he begins with broad areas of colour, building up the painting in layers and applying the fine details last of all.

Bob’s design background and flair for graphic design are evident in his paintings, which are carefully balanced in terms of tone and expertly composed. A skilled colourist, he also characteristically turns up the volume on the barely-there colours, making for vibrant imagery, pulsating with energy. While the majority of the collection carries Bob’s distinctive and recognisable style, each new addition still manages to deliver originality and a fresh surprise.

Not content juggling a dual career, Bob has also found time to set up the Gozo Arts Society (GAS), in an effort to bring together the large number of artists living and working on the island to meet and share their know-how. With around 70 members to date, GAS runs regular workshops, networking sessions, demonstrations and events for artists and art lovers alike. There are also plans for post-corona exhibitions and studio tours once normal life resumes.

“The group aims to build a strong and influential arts society that is entirely aimed at supporting and encouraging all local Gozitan art and artists… to bring together anyone interested in the arts, supporting, promoting and celebrating the talent that can be found in Gozo... the voice and a force for art shaping life in Gozo and beyond. All artists, would-be artists and art lovers are welcome to join.”

Bob’s postponed exhibition at Ta’ Mena Experience in Gozo will go ahead at a future date still to be decided. For updates, follow the Bob Cardona Studio on Facebook. Contact him at bobcardonacda@ gmail.com or on 7715 6920 or meet him in person at the Bob Cardona Studio when it reopens at 96, St George Street, Victoria, Gozo. Contact Gozo Arts Society (GAS) on Facebook or on 7716 6920.

We catch up with Bob Cardona as he works from home in an ‘open studio’ video which accompanies this interview, for a chat about his creative process and how the shutdown is affecting his work.    

Artists and art lovers are invited to join the Malta Artists public Facebook group.        

Dawn Light