Artist Statement
My practice is inspired predominantly by the everyday world and the human condition. It addresses contemporary themes surrounding childhood, self, dreams, and stardom through the medium of iconographic imagery. I portray this through my own personal lens as a 22-year-old, Londoner, mixed-race, heterosexual male. All these particularities effect the final image, formulating an outcome that is both introspective yet universal. The eerily familiar imagery plays with the notion of nostalgia evoking a somewhat innate significance. Expanding beyond words. This collective meaning is subtle and can often be incomprehensible, yet is nevertheless present, whilst it can be difficult to label. I perceive this aura to be an intrinsic ‘truth,’ manifested out of our collective human experience. This is a fundamental element in my practice, as I intend for my work to be accessible to everyone: catering to the art bourgeoisie, as well as the everyday spectator.
My process of making consists of several stages, beginning with an archive of continually changing digital imagery. I repeatedly play around with these images, changing arrangements, compositions and digital effects, until something sparks. Ensuing a series or body of work for me to exhaust. During this process or sometimes at the end, I select the outcomes which I am most excited to materialize into paintings and bring them to life on the canvas. The realization of the digital into physical form is crucial to bringing me closer to my art and to allow my human body and mind to truly engage with my practice. The digital world isn’t only part of my process, but also a fundamental theme that I investigate within my work. Throughout all stages, I intentionally highlight the digital derivation of my art. Starting with my digital collages, I try to collaborate with the digital medium, experiment with the computerized decisions, and also work with automated errors that the iPad makes. By lessening my control over the outcome, it helps my work expand into new avenues that I possibly may not have arrived to by myself. It also gives my work a small element of randomization, with the digital medium taking on a form of divine power.
The visual langue that I use throughout my work is often grounded in working class culture. This entails gaming, entertainment, and sports, which are all universally recognizable. The subject matter depicts arbitrary, climactic, incidental, ‘omg’ moments, which are grounded in my personal obsession from childhood, with highlight and fail videos. Growing up throughout the early YouTube and social media era has been a great source of inspiration for my work. I intentionally aim to emulate the essence of the click-bait/shit-posting contemporary culture, reappropriating it within my fine art practice. This combination of somewhat traditional painting, confined to a canvas and acrylic, juxtaposed with the eye catching, instantly gratify-able images, creates an interesting dynamic: a sort of limbo between conventional and contemporary.
Another relevant theme within my work is the idea of masculine energy. Whilst not to be confused with masculinity on the hole, I try to explore my adolescence as well as my current state of being. Through this, I attempt to subtly transmit lessons and knowledge that life has instilled within me, also allowing me to introspectively annualized and reconcile with past experiences. This theme is explored through intense physical interaction, whilst also the competitive and sometimes outright aggressive nature of masculine energy. With that being said, I strive for my work to capture more than just the superficial violence, presenting the beauty and harmony of this force. Through the journey of my work, I found masculinity to be a rather contentious/taboo theme, particularly amongst the world of art. Although I can most definitely see why this is case and don’t necessarily disagree with a lot of the contemporary narrative surround masculinity, I also found it impossible to validate my own experience as a human being without encompassing a fundamental element of what I am. I try to unbiasedly portray this energy, showing the good and the bad. Ultimately aspiring once again for an innately ‘truthful’ depiction.
www.mattiaguarnera-maccarthy.com
@mattia.Guarnera
