Every person has a unique touch to itself. That unique expression of our stance and thoughts makes us special in this world. But what adds to the whole image? It's our inner experiences.
And you may question yourself, why inner? Although we are created under the same sky and maybe lived in the same communities - every person experiences the world in its own unique way. We all have that special set of emotional triggers that we carry with us. The part of our soul, or our subconscious that influences everyday life. That set of triggers is the one that creates the most unique view of the world. And that's where good art stands out. Good art reflects tiny pieces of our triggers, plays with the shape, and makes us needy, make us ask for more. When we found our team, in front of such work, we had to speak with the artist. We had to learn more about his artwork and creation process.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
We are mainly located in England and Italy, where I was born. My art journey began in the UK, where I live since 2010. Despite been connected to the art environment from a very young age, the turning point of my “enlightenment” is traceable to the time I started connecting with London’s contemporary art scene in my early 20s. Regularly attending performance art events and visiting artists’ studios, made clear a vocation ready to be manifested.
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
The creation of art is similar to the creation of the world, it’s unknown and unpredictable. I imagine we bake new ideas at all times, but never really know how they will be transformed in the process of mutation from ideas to matter. We end up doing things, unconsciously without knowing where they come from or, other times, we study months to realize something with a mathematical and controlled perfection. It is generally at the end of the process that our eyes front what we aimed to express, and we see the reflection of our feelings in the artworks.
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
As you said, we all see things differently, perhaps for the same reason that we all look different. Despite we are similarly conceived, if ten people are asked to draw an apple, they will all draw it differently. Personally, our studio is interested in new ways of creating images and new ways of materializing sculptures.
We still feel bonded to art history, from which the studio, constantly tap into. But we also create things which look very disconnected from history and perhaps relate to a new wave of art making, influenced by present trends. Perhaps present trends are also a form of history, since our present time has already gone and historicized as we speak.
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists'?
We feel lucky to have turned art in our profession, as we understand that is not so straight forward process. The best advice for starting artists, is to document themselves. If the question here is about how to enter a market, then the answer is, to study that market. To be connected with what transforms the art in to money, to understand where this happens and how. But mainly to not get trapped in to this game, that makes you a comfortable living, but can also kill your art soul, which is a much purer force than money.
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
In general, we are story tellers. We like process-stories; we like celebrating ideas through narratives. Sometimes we develop single pieces, but never leave them alone or present to the public if they are not developed in to wider projects. For us single pieces can work as prototypes for an idea to be pursued or abandoned. Or it can just serve the need of creating something for the simple pleasure of having it in our studio, but from which we don’t feel fully represented to develop it further.
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
Despite we initially made our first steps in to the arts, using materials that were untouchable or digital. Recently, we are feeling a strong connection with things we can find in the natural realm, such as stones and metals. We combine technology with tradition, cause at this point it would be a missed opportunity not to do it. But we don’t serve neither of them. We only serve the purpose of art, which is freedom to express things that fail to be expressed otherwise.
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
I, and the studio, recently came to the conclusion that art is an independent and superior force. It can control us in our choices and give us insights. We feel possessed. We lose control upon our ideas, which develop independently from our will. It happens that we find things done in the studio and we forget when and where they were made and how we got there. We feel blessed, we let ourselves to it, we have no choice, we are in good hands. We are in the hands of Art.
Not every person is a talented soul in an exploration of his craft. But every single one of us aims for the better in his life. For emotional peace, for a meaningful life path, for a better society... We have to learn to live with our flaws and enhance our bright sides. We have to learn to grab a hand that will help us cross that wild river of life. And art can be that peaceful harbor where we take a break. A break that will help us to live an open-minded, exploratory journey and enjoy the art of life.
The FOURLINEdesign team would like to thank Matteo Mauro and his studio, for sharing inspiring thoughts with our community.