Architectural Narratives: Gelo’s Reimagined Spaces

Contextualizing Gelo in Art History

To fully appreciate Gelo’s practice, it’s valuable to situate it within the broader canon of art history. His architectural storytelling invites comparisons to the Italian Futurists, such as Antonio Sant’Elia, whose renderings of imagined cities emphasized dynamic movement and the power of the modern metropolis. While Sant’Elia’s works celebrated the mechanical and industrial, Gelo’s pieces temper architectural grandeur with deeply personal and human elements, creating a bridge between the monumental and the intimate.

Similarly, Gelo’s exploration of light and shadow recalls the work of Edward Hopper, particularly in the latter’s use of architecture to frame solitude and quiet introspection. Hopper’s urban landscapes, such as “Early Sunday Morning” (1930), emphasize the relationship between built environments and human experience—a theme Gelo revisits through his distinctive use of color, tone, and perspective.

From a theoretical standpoint, Gelo’s work aligns with Gaston Bachelard’s phenomenology of space as articulated in The Poetics of Space (1958). Bachelard’s ideas about the intimate connection between humans and their environments—how spaces shape memories, dreams, and emotions—find resonance in Gelo’s reinterpretations of architectural forms. In this way, Gelo’s art not only represents space but also transforms it into an emotional and psychological landscape.

The HERO (2025)

“The HERO” captures a universal longing for strength and guidance in times of uncertainty. The composition features an angular, red figure perched atop a sharp architectural form, dwarfed by the towering skyscrapers that frame the scene. The stark juxtaposition between the human-like figure and the soaring, abstracted buildings highlights a striking narrative tension. The red hue of the figure, both bold and solitary, symbolizes not only courage but also a visceral vulnerability in the face of overwhelming odds.

Thematically, this work recalls Rodin’s “The Thinker” (1904), in its contemplation of existential struggles, but recontextualizes it in a vertical urban environment, symbolizing ascension and resilience. The surrounding buildings appear to ripple with a rhythmic quality, suggesting the constant flux and instability of modern life. Meanwhile, Gelo’s use of light rays, cutting through shadow, introduces a hopeful note, symbolizing clarity and guidance. This visual language parallels the chiaroscuro techniques of Baroque artists like Caravaggio, who used dramatic contrasts to convey spiritual redemption. In “The HERO,” light becomes a metaphor for hope and perseverance, reinforcing the theme of triumph over adversity.

Living in LaGuardia (2024)

Drawing on personal memories, “Living in LaGuardia” juxtaposes the vibrant dynamism of airplanes with the quiet solidity of surrounding urban buildings. The composition’s textured aesthetic captures the duality of excitement and solitude—farewells and reunions—that defines the airport experience. The airplanes, depicted in vivid red and metallic tones, slice through a serene pastel sky, imbuing the scene with a sense of movement and transience. In contrast, the urban buildings, rendered in muted tones, stand as stoic witnesses to the fleeting moments of human connection and departure.

The textured surface of the work evokes a tactile quality, as if the viewer could reach out and feel the vibrations of planes overhead. This interplay between the mechanical and the emotional invites comparison to Piet Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie (1942–43), where the grid of New York City becomes a lively interplay of form and motion. However, Gelo’s work transcends abstraction by embedding a narrative into the urban fabric. The airplanes serve as metaphors for connection and disconnection, evoking both freedom and transience. These elements underscore Gelo’s ability to weave personal and collective stories into architectural forms, making “Living in LaGuardia” a poignant meditation on place and memory.

The Curious Night (2023)

“The Curious Night” captures a contemplative stillness that resonates with the moments when we yearn for the peak experiences of our lives. The composition features a stark, moonlit scene dominated by the undulating curves of an architectural form, creating a rhythmic interplay of shadow and light. The moon, luminous and full, anchors the image with its celestial glow, offering a sense of quiet mystery and endless possibility.

Gelo’s use of minimal color and form recalls the work of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s architectural photography, where structures are distilled to their elemental geometry and contrast. However, Gelo adds an emotional dimension through the curve-like movements, suggesting not just the permanence of the built environment but its capacity to inspire human longing. The interplay between the organic curves of the architecture and the ethereal light of the moon evokes an atmosphere of introspection, making “The Curious Night” a poignant exploration of time and memory.

Destination (2023)

“Destination” presents a narrative of life’s journey, encapsulated through a dramatic composition where the interplay between architectural and aerial elements reflects themes of ambition and emotional fulfillment. The scene unfolds under a radiant full moon, with a solitary airplane slicing through the night sky and a lone figure, rendered in red, standing on the balcony of a stark, geometric building. This juxtaposition of motion and stillness captures the balance between striving for distant goals and cherishing the present.

The red figure, a recurring motif in Gelo’s work, serves as a symbol of humanity’s resilience and the warmth of connection amidst the often impersonal scale of modern architecture. The subdued gradient in the sky, transitioning from deep black to soft orange, suggests the inevitability of transition and progress. Gelo’s “Destination” recalls the Romantic fascination with the sublime, particularly in Caspar David Friedrich’s “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” (1818), where the figure’s perspective imbues the landscape with introspective meaning. By blending personal and universal themes, Gelo creates a work that resonates deeply with viewers as they contemplate their own journeys through life.

Conclusion: Gelo’s Contribution to Architectural Art

Gelo’s oeuvre represents a profound meditation on the emotional and cultural dimensions of architecture. Through works like “The HERO,” “Living in LaGuardia,” “The Curious Night,” and “Destination,” he reimagines built environments as vessels for human stories, bridging the monumental with the intimate. His art speaks to the universal themes of resilience, connection, prosperity, and heritage, offering viewers not only a visual experience but also an invitation to reflect on their own relationships with space and memory.

In situating Gelo’s practice within the broader contexts of art history and theory, his work emerges as a vital contribution to contemporary art, one that reaffirms the enduring power of architecture to shape and reflect the human experience.