Mauro’s figures are apathetic characters and yet they rise, to the eyes of the spectator, to symbols of great emotion and sensitivity. Mauro varies his technique, from graphite to ink, acrylic and water colors. In 2020, during the quarantine, Mauro’s need for experimentation led him to the technique of pixel. Women’s faces thus become almost entirely abstract, between mosaic and 8bit digitization, in contrast with the softer details that frame them.
What inspires you personally?
I got inspired by everything around me. It all starts with observation; I use to look at people all around me everywhere, places and their details. I’m always fascinated by small details in everything that can generate an atmosphere or a theme and which can improve and make my style richer of new aspects.
I get inspired by a walk in the streets, a journey, a day in the nature but also by a newspaper, a picture, a movie or a song.
What does art mean to you?
I started drawing and painting when I was 3 years old and art has always been a way for me to express my interior side and my personal taste; I tried to recreate my idea of beauty within painting beautiful women and express their feeling with colors tented to represent a mood around them. I want people to be more sensitive to art in general, get in touch with it as a primitive needing and not just considering art as something boring and didactic. We live surrounded by art everywhere, we just need to catch it. Art for me means everything from expressing my feelings, both positive or negative, to being amazed by simple daily things I consider art.
How do you describe your work?
I am very into classic art with a twist, trying to create a new standard of aesthetic beauty inspired by my personal taste. I started painting faces inspired by classic greek statue as pure example of beauty and I went through pixel and mangas to be back to my previous art style. I like when people tell me I have a personal and recognizable iconic style, that’s my aim, it means a lot to me, it means I created my style and it is unique. I’m fascinated about strong colours mixed with softer and pastel tones.
My favorite color is a strong pink that I use in the background of my paintings as a signature color and that makes the women figures comes out so strong. I believe every color has a meaning and pink is the most chameleon one: can be pop, feminine, rock and rebel at the same time.
What are your favourite books/magazines/films?
I like the great classic novels and for sure my favorite one is „Madame Bovary“; I have a copy of it that is a gift from my father when I was a child. I love strong women in literature, big love affairs and big dramas. I have a lot of photography books in my apartment and I like to spend time looking old pictures, from family ones, to Fashion editorials and to landscapes ones. I remember the first time I saw a book of photos by Richard Avedon and the way he gave power to women in his works, without taking off grace and beauty from them.
Another great influence to my background has been given by shojo mangas from the ’70s and their iconic big eyes, drama poses and struggle. In this I will never hide my love for Ryioko Ikeda (one of the biggest mangake in that period) and her contribute to my style.
How do you organize your day?
I wake up pretty early when I have to start a new canvas. I generally start from the idea, which goes around my mind for days, then I dedicate half day to the sketches to study proportions and spaces before transfer them to the canvas itself. I’m always very focused on the preparation of my canvas and the beginning is always important and crucial: I want to be sure that I have clear idea of what I want to create and I already imagine the final result. I like to take several breaks during my art time to be relax and giving my best in every brush touch. When I finish an artwork I sit away from it and I stare it to check how it looks and I wait a day before declare that it is done.
What impresses you?
I like education, kindness, class, glamour and uniqueness; we should all have admiration for the beauty inside and less for the beauty outside. Especially during this period I reconsidered my priority and my needs, I want to express kindness and relaxation in my artworks always expressed with beauty. Concerning art I like what I find new; I fall in love with art that are made by people that can show they grew up as artists, that can communicate something with a single artwork. I’m fascinated by sculptures and I wish I could create sculptures too soon.
What are you working on right now?
At the moment I keep on painting my beautiful women but I’m also experimenting mens figures as I did in my canvas „Daddy’s phone“. I’ve always considered men as a symbol of strength so I’m trying to give them more soft attitudes so I’m still studying men in art from this different view. I never stop trying to reach new shapes and styles but otherwise I’m a perfectionist and I never stop putting my art in discussion to improve and being satisfied of myself as an artist.
Mauro Bottone – www.maurobottone.wordpress.com
