ARTIST
My name is Mario, I am a self-taught oil painter and graphic designer. I have a style of color, texture, and composition that is cool, sometimes sober, to preserve the warmth that life shares with us and that is calmed in the darkness shown in my paintings when I manage to contrast nature with its animals and the inert material representing humanity. The painting adheres to the figurative line because I seek to faithfully represent animals and endow them with light to the point of idolatry. For this reason, they usually have the leading role in my paintings, to transmit sensitivity towards them and at the same time show a duality.
The functional aspects of life are contrasted with the human being; man, detached from nature and the creator of destruction, of his environment and of himself. This is represented by architectural brutalism, drawing a parallel between the human condition and the material, which does not disguise its rigid and soulless structural aesthetic, revealing the concrete beneath.
It is the consequence of the utilitarian man who governs and submits himself through the ego, which leads him to be an instrument of power and an inert object; it is the system he created where his own structure transforms him into stone.
INSPIRATION
My passion and admiration for art encompasses all disciplines of creativity, regardless of category or historical significance, including fine arts, unconventional forms like video games, television, and popular culture itself, all of which contribute to the imagination; they allow me to confirm that they can all ignite the engine of creativity, because inspiration comes from any expression that feeds curiosity.
My work stems from the need to show a reality that is seemingly not considered today, due to the utilitarian nature of our lives that distracts us from important problems; in my works I seek to communicate the sensitivity that man has lost with nature, the disconnection that leads him to destroy it and leave it aside, separating it from his own biology and ignoring the consequences of his anthropocentrism.
I seek to value the bond that makes us participants as a whole, close to the pantheistic vision of Baruch Spinoza; now we only coexist and as a species we have become independent of natural shelter, blinded by a veil of our own ignorance imposed on us by power and a structure of superiority.
Painting allows me to tell the story symbolically, showing cause and effect starting from simple everyday life, such as the series of defenseless animals that alludes to small, ignored animals in everyday places anywhere, up to the conversion of man into stone, rocks, and all his power structures that he has built on the subjugation of his own species.
It is a journey to be undertaken where expressiveness is subject to the theme of each work; each one possesses a personal and subjective interpretation, therefore the connection of each person with my work will be relative to their experience with nature and the appreciation that I share with many of them in recognizing it.
This journey begins with the series "Defenseless Animals" to show the details of reality that we don't see, or that we see but are indifferent to because of our daily lives where our needs take precedence, forgetting the organic needs of our natural environment; just as a bird needs a nest, which at the rate we're going we won't leave it any alternatives to, because the truth is that it shouldn't be normal to see a nest in places outside of nature like on a roof or unconventional places like a tree, it makes me reflect on what we ignore due to tradition and the common experience of man in his transformed environment.
CREATIVE PROCESS
I use oil paint for its depth, chromatic richness and ability to create vibrant atmospheres, but without abandoning the personal touch that leads me to experiment with the normal problems that arise in each execution, such as understanding the order of the pigment according to the light and the composition, or the same guide that serves as a reference, but not in an absolute and unchangeable way, on the contrary, everything expressed is not definitive in the painting process.
The weight of the paint is linked to the security of the composition and the intention of the work; if I need to represent an animal and its characteristics turn out to be the ideal for the purpose of the work in its theme, I choose it to start with the sketching.
I always begin sketching after listing the elements to be represented, guided by the objective of the work. This is how I define sizes, colors, and compositions, because everything starts with a need, which then becomes a problem to be solved. Photography is an indispensable element when it comes to planting ideas and bringing them to life with a brush; therefore, many references come from photography and from video, which I often use as support when I want real-world references. Other channels that feed into the process are contemporary media such as the internet and social networks. It's also necessary to see which trends favor my work in order to reach the niche I want to target.
Having resolved the "what," we begin with the "how." In this part, it's essential for me to use my skills and abilities to choose the best route to carry out the chosen sketch on the substrate, canvas, or painting surface. Often, I sketch proportional grids on the substrate, which facilitate the application of pigment according to the proportions. While the first step is actually dedicated to preparing the canvas by applying a base color (preferably dark to cover the factory color present on most substrates, whether sheets, canvases, or paper), these guides reduce the time and duration of the painting process.
While I have managed to represent raw concrete in several of my paintings, it is necessary to emphasize that it never comes out right the first time; there was always studio work and time dedicated to achieving the right effect that resembles the material, just like many animal skins and recurring atmospheres in my paintings; they are trial and error that enrich my ability to convey each message.
