Vincent Mattina
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Born Under Punches
Modified CPAP mask to protect against the Covid-19 contagion. Plastic, rubber, faux fur, fabric, found objects & acrylic paint. 9” x 14” x 9”. 2020. Website: http://vincentmattina.com Utah, USA VO by Mari Weiss |
CPAP Helmet
CPAP helmet for the apocalypse. Metal, wood, plastic, glass, and rubber. 13” x 15” x 9”. 2020. VO by Mari Weiss |
ABOUT THE ARTWORKS:
Born Under Punches:
This piece is a commentary on the recent pandemic and the ways in which it has altered our daily lives, as well as a humorously exaggerated forecast of future fashion trends predicted by such concerns. Our views of everything- fashion, style, comfort and freedom- have been challenged by this new state of existence that has pushed all concerns of individual privilege aside in favor of a larger health concern for the collective. How we face these challenges will determine how well the human race will adapt to the many changes to our environment coming in the future.
CPAP Helmet:
I use a C-Pap machine to help me breath at night and keep sleep apnea at bay. I also battle insomnia and nasal congestion due to allergies which can keep me up at night sometimes for hours on end. This is also a time where my thoughts roam free and imagination can turn into hallucinations. One of the effects of using the C-Pap machine is that it gives me a feeling of swimming under water, which for me is a metaphor for diving into the unconscious. In this series I use a surreal imagery to give the viewer a dreamlike perspective where they are dislodged from time & space.
This piece is a commentary on the recent pandemic and the ways in which it has altered our daily lives, as well as a humorously exaggerated forecast of future fashion trends predicted by such concerns. Our views of everything- fashion, style, comfort and freedom- have been challenged by this new state of existence that has pushed all concerns of individual privilege aside in favor of a larger health concern for the collective. How we face these challenges will determine how well the human race will adapt to the many changes to our environment coming in the future.
CPAP Helmet:
I use a C-Pap machine to help me breath at night and keep sleep apnea at bay. I also battle insomnia and nasal congestion due to allergies which can keep me up at night sometimes for hours on end. This is also a time where my thoughts roam free and imagination can turn into hallucinations. One of the effects of using the C-Pap machine is that it gives me a feeling of swimming under water, which for me is a metaphor for diving into the unconscious. In this series I use a surreal imagery to give the viewer a dreamlike perspective where they are dislodged from time & space.
STATEMENT:
My art explores the ongoing presence of the digital age and its impact on the fabric of our contemporary lifestyle. My work connects with spiritualism, environmentalism and the ever expanding realm of technology. I establish familiar visual cues regarding time and place and arrange them into densely textured representations.
Oftentimes themes are combined of man-made objects set against natural world imagery that are embellished with symbolic details. The juxtaposition of past, present and future establishes a dream-like quality and suggests another worldly realm out of time.
I start the process with a sketch and then work in the computer with my photography for digital colleges and on my workbench for assemblage pieces. Although it may not be always readily apparent, each series is linked by recurring concerns. The subject matter of each piece determines the colors, makeup, objects and images used to create it.
Each series often consists of multiple works grouped around specific themes and meanings. I consistently research varied topics creating new areas of interest from which arises the next body of work.
Oftentimes themes are combined of man-made objects set against natural world imagery that are embellished with symbolic details. The juxtaposition of past, present and future establishes a dream-like quality and suggests another worldly realm out of time.
I start the process with a sketch and then work in the computer with my photography for digital colleges and on my workbench for assemblage pieces. Although it may not be always readily apparent, each series is linked by recurring concerns. The subject matter of each piece determines the colors, makeup, objects and images used to create it.
Each series often consists of multiple works grouped around specific themes and meanings. I consistently research varied topics creating new areas of interest from which arises the next body of work.
DESCRIPTION:
Born Under Punches
The work is a sculpted man’s head with grayish-white skin and a large hooked nose. He wears a dark brown leather helmet, headphones over the helmet and oval shaped goggles. A black and white checked cloth covers his cheeks and a respirator covers his mouth. Coiled ribbed tubing loops around his shoulders and red sweater. The head sits on a square black base. A three-inch white dowel with a yellow happy face sprouts from the nose piece of his goggles. It is held in place by a leather thong attached to the helmet.
CPAP Helmet
The base of the sculpted head is a wooden black platform, with small round feet and a yellow knob on the left side. A black object shaped like an incandescent light bulb lies on the base by the knob. Ribbed tubing attached to the small end of the bulb winds around the neck. The face is covered by a black mask. Silver pins or nails protrude from small holes on the cheeks and flat nose. Two sleigh bells are mounted on the round vent covers over the mouth. The figure wears headphones and goggles. Red and yellow audio jacks form two rows above the goggles. Their black cables drape over the back of the head. A rifle scope juts forward above the jacks. Antique radio tubes bristle off the back of the head.
-description by Teri Grossman
The work is a sculpted man’s head with grayish-white skin and a large hooked nose. He wears a dark brown leather helmet, headphones over the helmet and oval shaped goggles. A black and white checked cloth covers his cheeks and a respirator covers his mouth. Coiled ribbed tubing loops around his shoulders and red sweater. The head sits on a square black base. A three-inch white dowel with a yellow happy face sprouts from the nose piece of his goggles. It is held in place by a leather thong attached to the helmet.
CPAP Helmet
The base of the sculpted head is a wooden black platform, with small round feet and a yellow knob on the left side. A black object shaped like an incandescent light bulb lies on the base by the knob. Ribbed tubing attached to the small end of the bulb winds around the neck. The face is covered by a black mask. Silver pins or nails protrude from small holes on the cheeks and flat nose. Two sleigh bells are mounted on the round vent covers over the mouth. The figure wears headphones and goggles. Red and yellow audio jacks form two rows above the goggles. Their black cables drape over the back of the head. A rifle scope juts forward above the jacks. Antique radio tubes bristle off the back of the head.
-description by Teri Grossman
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Opulent Mobility by A. Laura Brody is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
The Opulent Mobility license refers to the exhibit and its audio descriptions. Individual artworks are the property of the individual artists.