Typically New York and
typically Italian, is
the way Joseph Augustine
Grassia, one of the
founders of Phoenix Art
Group, describes growing
up in New Jersey, thirty
miles outside of New
York in the 1950's and
60's. What made his
experience uniquely
different was the
unmistakable presence of
his Aunt Mickey - his
own personal Auntie Mame
who introduced him to
the wonders of the
nearby metropolis and
offered a glimpse of
theater, galleries and
all the eccentricities
and avante garde the
city had to offer.
Augustine remembers it
as love at first
experience, and has
never looked backed.
Augustine's education
at Fairleigh Dickenson
University was
interrupted by the war
in Viet Nam. He's
interested in a wide
range of places - from
New York City on one
hand, to the great
outdoors with dramatic
vistas, cliffs, oceans
and forests. Says
Augustine, One of the
hardest things to learn
in life is to live in
the present moment.
Augustine has carried
his fascination with the
unique and unusual into
a wide range of
multi-media artwork,
including printmaking in
oriental and art deco
styles, as well as
design of remarkable
frames that are
unsurpassed for their
whimsy, innovation and
theatrical flair. But
photography stands out
as one of Augustine's
great loves, inspiring
him to launch Cappagi, a
new line of photographic
art for the Phoenix Art
Group in 1996.
