John Gambino was first introduced to me as John Gambin. Later, upon reflection and a little detective work, the revelation occurred that Gambin and his signature cartouche might be a nom de plume. The major clue was that Gambino's writing on the back of the works was in Italian. Having very little information to go on besides the dates that he visited New York from Italy (1940 until 1954) and the knowledge that he studied at the Art Student's League allowed for the work to speak for itself, and that indeed it does. One is struck by Gambino's incredible handling of the paint. Light is the objective in most of the work while recording what he saw becomes secondary. On the back of one of his cityscapes, Gambino wrote "Carica il chiaroscuro quel Tocco di verde nel sole." Translated, it reads "full of chiaroscuro that touch of green in the sun."

In the spirit of Robert Henri, Gambino becomes one in the litany of artists pursuing their dream through self-expression. As Henri once said in the Art Spirit: Ever since the beginning there have been artists who have found in the simple life about them the wonderful and the beautiful, and through the fact of this inspiration have sensed the way to make the combination of form and color we know as art.



The power of Gambino's paintings lies in experiencing the moment he portrays. Sometimes, an overwhelming sense of loneliness is felt even without a direct narrative. It is his choice of palette and the empty scenes he portrays that may lead to this interpretation. Only rarely does he place people within the composition of his cityscape.
The materials Gambino used were not archival at best, and it is remarkable that such a large body of his work exists today. Art Appraiser and Consultant, Jane St. Lifer is responsible for the introducing of the art of John Gambino to the New York community. She and Steve Kennedy, Pulp Art expert, have made an effort to bring Gambino's story and wonderful "little jewel" paintings to the public. The Italian American Museum is hopeful that more information concerning John Gambino will be revealed as time goes by.