More than three decades after his death, a new stage production is introducing audiences to the life and work of Montreal artist Nick Palazzo, whose prolific body of work remained largely unknown despite producing more than 2,000 paintings before dying of AIDS in 1991.
For family members, the one-man play is bringing renewed attention to an artist they say spent much of his life on the margins.
“He was isolated in this world. He was isolated from the family. And he was a very, very good artist,” said Maria Palazzo, Nick Palazzo’s sister.
The production, Painting Moments, the portrait of an artist as a young gay man, is based on the 1998 book Painting Moments: Art, AIDS and Nick Palazzo by author and playwright Mary Melfi. The show, presented as part of the Montreal Fringe Festival through June 20, was adapted by Melfi and Sharon Malone, directed by Anton May and stars Nick Fontaine as Palazzo.
Melfi says she became captivated by Palazzo’s work years after his death.
“I never met Nick Palazzo, but after he died, my friend and his sister showed me pictures of his paintings, and I was absolutely fascinated and impressed with the quality of his work,” said Melfi.
According to his family, Palazzo painted constantly, carrying his materials wherever he went and creating works inspired by everyday moments.
“He had his canvas with him everywhere he went, and he decided on the spot that he would paint whatever. We were talking about critics. He had tried very, very hard to get his stuff in galleries, but it was cheap paint. It was cheap board, so he was always refused, which was very hurtful to him,” said Maria.
While the play recounts the challenges Palazzo faced as a young gay artist living through the AIDS crisis, Melfi says audiences leave with more than a sense of loss.
“Everyone says it’s a sad story, but it’s not so sad that they don’t want to see it. It’s bittersweet that we see the actors’ love for his art and love for his partner, and so it’s uplifting in that sense,” said Maria.
The performance has proven especially emotional for relatives who knew him personally.
“At the end I was in tears because I could feel what he was expressing to me, that you know how hard it was and how much he wanted to be accepted and recognized and he was, he wasn’t even..he was only 29 when he died. He was just at the beginning…” said Rita Palazzo, Nick Palazzo’s aunt.
For Maria, the production has brought back memories of her brother’s humour and resilience despite his illness.
“I miss him. He was who he was, and we really spent a lot of good times. Even though he was going through a bad time, we still had some good time. We could still laugh. We could still laugh at the end. Even it was difficult.”
Family members continue to preserve his legacy through the paintings that remain in their homes.
“It’s really a shame that he had to lose his life so young and such talent because he was spontaneous. he would see somebody sitting on a bench and you would just right away do it without any doing it over again, whatever came, but at the end when he painted these you can see his feeling of him disappearing slowly, you know his eyes you know what all the difficulties people have when they have AIDS and it was unfortunate because right after, like Maria said, right after his death and you know a lot of research was done and people that he knew that had AIDS are still living today,” Rita Palazzo said.
Art critics have noted that Palazzo’s paintings blend elements of Cubism, Surrealism, Impressionism and Expressionism, creating a distinctive style that supporters say deserves greater recognition.
For Melfi, ensuring Palazzo’s work is remembered remains the driving force behind both the book and the play.
“I want his work to be recognized. It’s a very important body of work, and it must be recognized. There’s no question about it. He deserves a place in Canadian art history. North American history, European history, whatever you want to call it. It’s brilliant, and it should be recognized.”
