By Pat Rogers
There’s an aspect of anticipation when seeing Darlene Charneco and her art at the Southampton Arts Center (SAC) in Southampton Village, NY. A large wooden panel with bent nails sits on a stretch of floor. Nearby, a table contains more canvases: some are works in progress while others are completed. Installed on the wall are artworks from various series Charneco is known for. On the floor is a hammer. The question is: When will Charneco begin adding nail after nail to the panel; each action mingling a prayer with the strike on the nail?
If you would ask Darlene, it’s likely the question would be met with a smile. After all, who knows when the time might be right? There is much mind work that leads up to the making of her paintings that co-mingle “mapping” of specific areas or buildings as they have appeared in the past with the way they present now and the impact they’ve had on the communities where they are located.
