Messy Fingers is the title of artist Madeleine Vella Satariano’s current exhibition. Her choice of title arises from the finger-painting technique in which she uses her own fingers to act as paintbrushes, thus resulting in a more intimate connection with the painting surface itself. 

A traditional paintbrush can be considered as a ‘bridge’ through which artists express their emotions; however, using one’s fingers is more intuitive and spontaneous. This translates into the freshness of Vella Satariano’s paintings, although she also used traditional techniques in some of the other paintings in this exhibition.

Distorted Communications

By getting fingers messy, the artist rediscovers the joy of getting one’s fingers dirty with paint, just as we used to do when we were young children enchanted by tracing colourful patterns on any available surface and as our adventurous and untethered whims dictated. 

Madeleine Vella Satariano

Pablo Picasso famously said: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” 

We learned how colours appear and behave when mixed, how our fingers slithered across the paper when gorged with paint, its viscosity, how paint got under our fingernails and the way this behaved when mixed with water to take it off. It engaged us on many levels, promoting an integration that involved the senses of touch, hearing and smelling, besides sight. 

Heaven on Earth

Having the knowledge of a mature artist who has been expressing herself in traditional media for many years, Vella Satariano’s fingerpainting integrates her artistic baggage with the freedom that is integral to this sensory technique in which she can express herself much more deeply and instinctively. 

The technique requires a rapid exercise in execution and, therefore, more creativity through improvisation. 

“This is a technique I just started to explore and, to be honest, I just love it,” she points out.

Reflections

Silence

Cecil Satariano’s paternal influence

Vella Satariano claims that her father, Cecil Satariano (1930-1996), who was a film-maker and producer, besides being a film critic, author and artist himself, induced in her, from a very young age, a passion for the visual arts. 

Her artistic knowledge was augmented by consulting books about art. She followed a course at the School of Art under the tutorship of artist Cliff Fleener, who nourished in her a love for the medium while, at the same time, inviting her towards new perspectives.

Sunflowers

“I feel that art should be free − a true and genuine expression that emanates from the soul of the artist. My paintings talk about experiences as well as expressing emotions that I have experienced,” she said.

Messy Fingers, hosted by Ir-Razzett tal-Markiż Mallia Tabone, Mosta, is on until Sunday, June 5. Opening hours are every day bet­ween 5.30 and 8.30pm. Tomorrow and on Sunday it will also be open between 10am and noon.

Wild and Free