Armando Mariño
„Face to Face“ – solo exhibition in the Salon of janinebeangallery
February 2nd – April 13th 2024, opening reception on February 2nd, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m
We would say that in these recent paintings, Mariño is looking to his previous works back in the nineties (in his opinion the world hasn’t changed so much after all) and all the subjects he used to discuss back then are still present but now with a fresh pair of eyes and a completely renovated, mixed and open free technique. These new works differ from the ones in the past on many levels, for example, in the materiality, in the way he applies the oil, from thick to thin, from flat to standing, from liquified to dry brushstrokes, in the juxtaposition of smooth and rough, the bent perspective, the direct application of the color, the multilayer and so on. This is the result of years of experimentation and changes influenced by several artists, travels and tendencies. There is not one way of painting like there is not one way to approach or address the issues or conflicts that the painting highlights.
By using parody, pastiche, and a vast repertoire of images from magazines, the internet, books, and the history of art his work offers a unique and sarcastic approach to the painting as a space of power and exclusion, while at the same time, he’s tackling unsettling issues about race, sex, human trafficking, and cultural identity. The result is a confrontational and controversial work that exposes the complexity of human relations and cultural interactions.
His works are deeply referential and difficult to label. Coming from a rich multicultural background (he’s originally from Cuba) and moving and living in different countries he is not afraid to operate outside the “box” that usually labels for commercial reasons the artist as black, Cuban, or afro-descendant.
Mariño carefully appropriates, reorganizes and recontextualizes imagery from different sources to exacerbate or make any conflicts visible. In his paintings conventions, traditions, categorization and influences are not a restriction. Au contraire they serve as a detonator to display a heterogeneous, multilayered and complex painting both in his subject and his technique, they are just the perfect exponent of the artist himself.
