By Samantha Fournier

“I love it. It’s the color, it’s the feeling. His work seems to have a half organic, half urban feel,” CCSU student Tina Ciarcia said.

She was referring to Steve Di Benedetto’s work, which will be displayed in the S.T. Chen Gallery. Di Benedetto’s paintings will be available for viewing until November 19 during gallery hours.

Sixteen bold paintings are displayed across the wall of the gallery. Each painting is infused with bright colors and clear structure, which is contrasted against unmanageable forms. Most of the paintings have key elements in them, including an octopus, helicopters, and buildings, which give the paintings their geometric feel.

“I like it when things that are made in a deliberate manner are [put] in situations that are unclear,” Di Benedetto said of his work, adding that “the best things are always enigmatic.”

If you looked at the painting titled “Reflection” you would be able to identify the objects in the picture as a copper colored octopus and a blue skyscraper, but you may not be able to decipher why the octopus is crawling up the side of the building.

“The more you look at it, it changes,” CCSU student Andrew Cusson said of the images he’d observed so far.

“Ideally they should work to present a challenge and sense of comfort for the viewer,” Di Benedetto says of his paintings. Di Benedetto compares the sense of structure and the unmanageable forms found in each of his paintings as a metaphor for the struggle between controllable and uncontrollable situations encountered in everyday life.

The size of “Edge Dwelling” makes the painting feel almost overwhelming. A tall skyscraper is surrounded by helicopters with whirring blades. At the base of the building, a slimy octopus figure takes form. Movement is created in the painting through the helicopters and extraneous lines surrounding the building.

“My work used to be more abstract in the 80’s,” Di Benedetto said. One thing that hasn’t changed is the “optically charged” look that Di Benedetto adds to all of his paintings.

“It’s very interesting. I like the color in them, I’m a big fan of color,” Katia Porter, creator of the recent exhibit Second Shift held in the inner gallery.

“[You’re] making committed pictorial experiences where you’re trying to create visually exciting experiences [for the viewer],” Di Benedetto added of his aim.

Di Benedetto’s paintings are sure to stimulate the mind and the eye of any viewers that visit the exhibit, just as they did the night of the opening reception.