Roman de Salvo

Roman de Salvo considers himself a sculptor, but to be more specific, a conceptual artist who works well with his hands. As a sculptor, conceptual and installation artist, he works with the ordinary and familiar in an infusion of surprise, intrigue, and visual poetry. He makes generic and vernacular objects into peculiar and often humorous sculptures. Employing materials normally associated with prosaic domestic construction and decoration, de Salvo fashions art and anti-art objects that continually question the meaning of things. Fireplaces made of combustible wood, electrified conduit power puzzles, home furnishings altered slightly and hilariously; all these describe a restless, curious intellect, fused with impeccable craft and technical skill.

A large part of Roman de Salvo’s sculptures are site-specific, often found in places of little fanfare where it announces itself with startling yet tactful poignancy. He has a knack for integrating his work well with the character of the hosting venue.  De Salvo’s work has been featured at many notable institutions including the Musee d’Art Americain Giverny, France; the 2000 Whitney Biennial, New York; the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego; The California Biennial at the Orange County Museum of Art; the Timken Museum of Art, San Diego; the Seattle Art Museum, Washington; the Public Art Fund in New York; and the Nevada Museum of Art. He lives and works in Reno, Nevada.