Zito paints portraits. Sometimes he paints portraits on flattened garbage cans or discarded doors, sometimes he paints clocks that are inhabited with spirits. But he always paints grandeur, grandeur he sees that we overlook. His subjects are given a special life they never knew existed until this unassuming little genius steps up to the easel and infuses himself in every brushstroke. An artist to the core, Zito acknowledges that one must be able to draw before they can paint.

A strong sense of classical training and artistic antiquity were instilled with him early on, as was an appreciation of the great masters. A child of two fine artists who met at Hartford Art School, Zito was encouraged by his supportive parents to explore his creativity. “It’s extremely rare and I do not for a second take it for granted. Having parents that will back you up is possibly the greatest thing anyone can have,” says Zito. Amen. As a child his parents introduced him to Gotham and thanks to frequent jaunts to museums he was able to discuss Michelangelo and da Vinci with authority by the time he was seven. Early encouragement helped, as it always does, but talent did not breed arrogance. He is quick to point out that there are tremendously talented people on practically every corner.

New York is a self proclaimed accident. He admits that he never thought this would be home. An early stint as a musician in Massachusetts was the turning point. On Halloween night in 1992, a guitar player with a job offer in NYC enticed him to make a change and the rest is history. His current location at 122 Ludlow Street was actually the cheapest neighborhood at the time. Tell that to anyone now paying $4500.00 a month for 300 square feet.

Portraiture spoke to him because “the human face is the most basic form of communication. If you look at entertainment or advertising media, it is all about faces,” adds Zito. He points out how many emotions can be brought out by a face. By tapping into the most basic, primordial responses, Zito brings us into a world of his own making. “A face will give away what a mouth is trying to hide.”

Most compelling about Zito’s work is his ability to paint emotion and he captures his subject’s spirit, the feeling that exists in that special moment in time. “There is more power in subtlety,” Zito says. “I like to go to the source of emotion and that is usually the face.” He goes on to say, “It is like paint describing emotion through the illusion of a face.”

When asked if he is able to see something physically beautiful in all people, his candor is a bit surprising. “Out of respect for all living creations...yeah. But there is a fine line between desire and disgust. If I draw a forehead or jaw line wrong, someone can look like the elephant man but one brushstroke they can become a thing of beauty. I think very often that the idea of people is more beautiful than the actual appearance.”

“I have days where I am out on the street and everyone seems gorgeous. Then other days everyone looks like a troll. That is kind of the same experience we all have when we look in the mirror. Some days you’re like ‘wow - I’m gorgeous' and then other days you just stare at your reflection and go ‘what the fuck is that?’”

As an artist Zito continually aims for truth in his work with beauty being a secondary priority. Since both are subject to a certain amount of interpretation, there is a broad range of styles represented in his body of work and a surprisingly wide appeal. He proclaims a number of variables that influence each new piece. Sometimes it is something as basic as the weather. He has a portrait of a friend he painted in less than five minutes which is full of life and perfectly reflects the bright sunny day on which it was painted. You can almost smell the glorious fragrance of freshly cut grass and salty scent of the river.

Zito is quick to point out the deep connection formed between artist and subject, each with personal histories converging to create the end product. “A good portrait artist tries to capture a segment of time. A photograph is a pinpoint but a portrait should somehow reflect what everyone was feeling, how the light changed, the face moved.”

I ask him how he finds the recycled materials he often paints on, wondering if the pieces talk to him and ask to become a part of his work. At just that moment a clock chimes. Originally nothing more than an inexpensive plastic clock it has now become Zito-fied with a friend’s portrait. It is a moment that reminds us of the spirit that an artist infuses his work with. In fact, this piece seems to always chime in (on key) at precise moments like the one described.

A man of many gifts, Zito is also musician and accomplished sculptor. His junk metal pieces are a real delight. His ability to see new forms in discarded materials is impressive to say the least, although he will admit that making them stand up without tipping over can be a major challenge. My personal favorite piece is a bronze woman giving “birth” to the Grinch of Dr. Suess fame. Oh yeah, there is also his version of Madonna and Child, the difference being that this holy mother started out as a blow up doll. Oh if only Jerry Falwell could see the joy in my eyes.

Perhaps most inspirational is the fact that he is making a living as an artist. In fact he becomes quite passionate about what he calls "propagating the myth of the starving artist as truth.” He eloquently continues, “Even in art school when you are studying how to paint, and you are paying to learn, they don’t tell you a damned thing about how to get along in the world. The only thing they tell you is if you want to paint and make a living you have to be a teacher.” His advice to newcomer artists is to “look around and see that you can make a comfortable living doing what you love to do.”

No truer words since Virginia found out there really is a Santa Clause.