October 29, 2020
The Artist And His Muse, Conceptual Art With Mauro Perucchetti
The Artist And His Muse, Conceptual Art With Mauro Perucchetti
Often described as a master craftsman and social commentator, Mauro Perucchetti has his finger on the pulse in regard to contemporary society. Building his art on using pigmented resin, he prides his signature touch on harnessing the unexploited materials within the art world. Incorporating familiar icons of today’s culture, he has produced innovative pieces embedded in beauty. Perucchetti’s ability to fuse minimalism and pop, with elegance and irony is instantly recognizable.
111SKIN: You are coined as a conceptual artist – how did art develop for you as a career?
Mauro: I have always loved art and creating pieces for as long as I can remember – the bug was obviously in my genes. Unfortunately, the life of an artist isn’t steady and therefore I’ve had to comply with the need of making a living which again isn’t easy. During the 60s and 70s, I pursued a brief career in the movie industry, and I was able to join a production company and work alongside incredible names such as Elizabeth Taylor and Andy Warhol, my first movie being ‘The Driver Seat’.
111SKIN: How did things progress?
MP: I had an architectural and design practise which I was then able to build a sports car that in 1991 made it to the London Motor Show in Earls Court and at the time art was just a hobby. By 50, I sold my business and my house and financed my long overdue ideas of art and let’s just say I got lucky.
111SKIN: It’s never too late! What would you say then was the best project you have worked on?
MP: So many things comes into play when you react to a piece of art, the time and place are both geographical but also in your head and how you are receptive to it. I find it very difficult to be a partisan to one body of work let alone one with artwork but if I had to choose it would be The Jelly Babies and in particular the Jelly Baby Family.
111SKIN: Why?
MP: It started as a concept that was inspired by the addressing of cloning in the late 90s with ‘Dolly the Sheep’. I appropriated the Jelly Baby image as an impersonation of cloned human beings. Later on, I created the Jelly Baby Family which sat in Marble Arch for three years and represented my tribute to the multi-cultural aspect of society which is so present in London and which we have seen time and time again becoming a challenging issue around the world.
I chose this work because it was the first major sculpture I made and the one which everybody in the business thought was impossible to make. I had to make it myself and I really had to push the boundaries of what is technically possible to achieve with pigmented resin.
111SKIN: What does art and design mean to you?
MP: I’m a perfectionist (something bordering on a quality and a disease some would say) but, most importantly, I am an Aesthete. We all know that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and so I appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. At this point I can’t restrain myself from expressing how unpleasant I find some of the artwork being peddled by serious dealers and curators.
111SKIN: Speaking of beauty, what is YOUR current grooming routine?
MP: I haven’t much patience for real grooming, but I do spend a lot of time in the shower because of how dirty I get in the studio and in spite of my age, I train furiously nearly every day. I do have to admit that I’ve never used a face cream until I met my wife and I can certainly see the difference for the better – the routine starts with the 111SKIN Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser and always finishes with my Celestial Black Diamond Serum.
111SKIN: Do you have a specific evening routine?
MP: The evening routine is again as minimal, I apply the Celestial Black Diamond Retinol Oil after the shower and once a week, I’ll treat myself to a glass of red wine with my Celestial Black Diamond Lifting and Firming Face Mask.
111SKIN: Do you have a signature product that you can’t live without?
MP: NATIVE Organic deodorant! It comes in gorgeous scents and lasts all day.
111SKIN: Are there any wellness or fitness habits that you cultivate?
MP: Well martial arts and boxing are my life’s passion and I enjoy a massage every Sunday which has been a habit we’ve taken up since Covid-19.
111SKIN: How do you find inspiration for new piece of work?
MP: I mostly get my inspiration from world events and thoughts that surface from the deepest parts of my subconscious which in all honesty, seems to be an endless source of ideas, feelings and images. On this subject, I really think that being older and living a very unorthodox life helps my creativity. It is unfair to expect a young person just out of art school to produce great work, you need skills that sometimes aren’t taught in school – wounds and experience hone the soul.
111SKIN: Do you have a most-treasured piece?
MP: No, if I could I would keep most of my art.
111SKIN: How do you wind down in the evening?
MP: I enjoy unwinding with a glass of red wine and enjoying a movie in bed with my wife, Lorena – just being with the person you love has the most beneficial and therapeutic effect. Beforehand I used to live with my foot on the accelerator and I was lucky to find my soulmate.
111SKIN: Your favourite travel destination?
MP: I love driving around Italy, but I also love the nature of the West Coast of America.
111SKIN: Where do you see the art industry going?
MP: The art world has spread like wildfire with hundreds of fairs, thousands of galleries and dealers, museums and foundations with a lot of speculation, corruption and sometimes the wonderful work, business and academic integrity.
111SKIN: Outside of the industry, what else are you into?
MP: The days are not long enough to do all the things I would love to in art – I really am totally devoted to art.
111SKIN: The best advice you have ever received?
MP: That has definitely come from my wife who is also my Art Manager. I will never forget the day she read the first draft of a contract that a gallery I was about to join wanted me to sign and it was the size of a book and amounted to full ownership of me. I was keen to join at the time as I didn’t have the experience around the legal issues with the art world and I was about to walk into an “ambush”. By the end of it all, she changed the contract for the better but warned me that is was a bad way to start and not one that would do the artist any good.
Never sign a contract and be free, it is your brain, your money, your work and yes galleries have high overheads and when they are good, they help the artists. You are not the only artist they represent and if they can’t sell your work, they simply give it back because it belongs to you.
Nobody should own an artist.
Shop mask
Often described as a master craftsman and social commentator, Mauro Perucchetti has his finger on the pulse in regard to contemporary society. Building his art on pigmented resin, he prides his signature touch on harnessing the unexploited materials within the art world. Incorporating familiar icons of today’s culture, he has produced innovative pieces embedded in beauty. Perucchetti’s ability to fuse minimalism and pop, with elegance and irony is instantly recognizable.
111SKIN: You are coined as a conceptual artist – how did art develop for you as a career?
Mauro: I have always loved art and creating pieces for as long as I can remember – the bug was obviously in my genes. Unfortunately, the life of an artist isn’t steady and therefore I’ve had to comply with the need of making a living which again isn’t easy. During the 60s and 70s, I pursued a brief career in the movie industry, and I was able to join a production company and work alongside incredible names such as Elizabeth Taylor and Andy Warhol, my first movie being ‘The Driver Seat’.
111SKIN: How did things progress?
MP: I had an architectural and design practise which I was then able to build a sports car that in 1991 made it to the London Motor Show in Earls Court and at the time art was just a hobby. By 50, I sold my business and my house and financed my long overdue ideas of art and let’s just say I got lucky.
111SKIN: It’s never too late! What would you say then was the best project you have worked on?
MP: So many things comes into play when you react to a piece of art, the time and place are both geographical but also in your head and how you are receptive to it. I find it very difficult to be a partisan to one body of work let alone one with artwork but if I had to choose it would be The Jelly Babies and in particular the Jelly Baby Family.
111SKIN: Why?
MP: It started as a concept that was inspired by the addressing of cloning in the late 90s with ‘Dolly the Sheep’. I appropriated the Jelly Baby image as an impersonation of cloned human beings. Later on, I created the Jelly Baby Family which sat in Marble Arch for three years and represented my tribute to the multi-cultural aspect of society which is so present in London and which we have seen time and time again becoming a challenging issue around the world.
I chose this work because it was the first major sculpture I made and the one which everybody in the business thought was impossible to make. I had to make it myself and I really had to push the boundaries of what is technically possible to achieve with pigmented resin.
111SKIN: What does art and design mean to you?
MP: I’m a perfectionist (something bordering on a quality and a disease some would say) but, most importantly, I am an Aesthete. We all know that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and so I appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. At this point I can’t restrain myself from expressing how unpleasant I find some of the artwork being peddled by serious dealers and curators.
111SKIN: Speaking of beauty, what YOUR is current grooming routine?
MP: I haven’t much patience for real grooming, but I do spend a lot of time in the shower because of how dirty I get in the studio and in spite of my age, I train furiously nearly every day. I do have to admit that I’ve never used a face cream until I met my wife and I can certainly see the difference for the better – the routine starts with the 111SKIN Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser and always finishes with my Celestial Black Diamond Serum.
111SKIN: Do you have a specific evening routine?
MP: The evening routine is again as minimal, I apply the Celestial Black Diamond Retinol Oil after the shower and once a week, I’ll treat myself to a glass of red wine with my Celestial Black Diamond Lifting and Firming Face Mask.
111SKIN: Do you have a signature product that you can’t live without?
MP: NATIVE Organic deodorant! It comes in gorgeous scents and lasts all day.
111SKIN: Are there any wellness or fitness habits that you cultivate?
MP: Well martial arts and boxing are my life’s passion and I enjoy a massage every Sunday which has been a habit we’ve taken up since Covid-19.
111SKIN: How do you find inspiration for new piece of work?
MP: I mostly get my inspiration from world events and thoughts that surface from the deepest parts of my subconscious which in all honesty, seems to be an endless source of ideas, feelings and images. On this subject, I really think that being older and living a very unorthodox life helps my creativity. It is unfair to expect a young person just out of art school to produce great work, you need skills that sometimes aren’t taught in school – wounds and experience hone the soul.
111SKIN: Do you have a most-treasured piece?
MP: No, if I could I would keep most of my art.
111SKIN: How do you wind down in the evening?
MP: I enjoy unwinding with a glass of red wine and enjoying a movie in bed with my wife, Lorena – just being with the person you love has the most beneficial and therapeutic effect. Beforehand I used to live with my foot on the accelerator and I was lucky to find my soulmate.
111SKIN: Your favourite travel destination?
MP: I love driving around Italy, but I also love the nature of the West Coast of America.
111SKIN: Where do you see the art industry going?
MP: The art world has spread like wildfire with hundreds of fairs, thousands of galleries and dealers, museums and foundations with a lot of speculation, corruption and sometimes the wonderful work, business and academic integrity.
111SKIN: Outside of the industry, what else are you into?
MP: The days are not long enough to do all the things I would love to in art – I really am totally devoted to art.
111SKIN: The best advice you have ever received?
MP: That has definitely come from my wife who is also my Art Manager. I will never forget the day she read the first draft of a contract that a gallery I was about to join wanted me to sign and it was the size of a book and amounted to full ownership of me. I was keen to join at the time as I didn’t have the experience around the legal issues with the art world and I was about to walk into an “ambush”. By the end of it all, she changed the contract for the better but warned me that it was a bad way to start and not one that would do the artist any good.
Never sign a contract and be free, it is your brain, your money, your work and yes, galleries have high overheads and when they are good, they help the artists. You are not the only artist they represent and if they can’t sell your work, they simply give it back because it belongs to you.
Nobody should own an artist.
SHOP MAsKs
If you were to advise a London guide, what would be on your list?
Well, As I grew up in Notting Hill, it will always have my heart and if I was recommending spots in London, a wander around Notting Hill would be high up on my list. From there it would be all the best shopping destinations, the iconic private members club, Annabels, Harrods and Liberty’s for any cute and unique gifts. I would always pop into 111CRYO at Harrods for the Cryo Facial and treatment for the ultimate recharge. Sometimes the city is great, but the beautiful secrets of the English countryside is something that should be experienced.
Your In-Flight Essentials?
I don’t have a routine per say and I am certainly not as thorough as Naomi Campbell but I would apply the Meso Infusion Lip Duo and I would always wipe my phone down with anti-bacterial wipes, in fact I do this every day, the bacteria build up is no good for the skin.
In terms of Industry, where do you see the hair industry going?
Well Instagram has changed so much and has impacted the way we consume and learn within the industry, especially with so many creatives, but I still find that a massive amount of people come to the professionals to share the knowledge on how to carry out or complete a desired look, more than ever there is power behind ‘how-to’ videos.
A very valid point and in terms of 2020?
In terms of what we are to see in 2020, things are going to be super creative and we will see a wider awareness for people doing their own thing and it will be expressive and artistic. People will move away from the overtly glamorous looks and will create looks they can tailor to their everyday. As it’s currently Award Season which is the busiest time of the year leading up to the Met Ball, hairstyles are certainly more elaborate, and everyone loves an up do. I would say the most timeless look has to be the blunt bob, it comes around year on year, but it is effortless and timeless.
Outside of hair, what other industries are you into?
I am hugely into Interiors and I would describe my style as 60s/70s glamour, think elaborate and dramatic but I often fantasise about 80s Dallas and Joan Collins and I have to reign myself in. I also love Baking; it is the ultimate way to relax and I find that it is my meditation and therapy. If I’m in the USA I would bake a lot of cookies as everyone is obsessed with then over here and in the UK, I would bake more traditional styles like a lemon tart or an apple tart – it allows for me to be creative outside of my job.
Finally, the best advice you have ever received?
It would have to be from my grandfather, he would often say to me “it’s not how well you’re doing but how well people think you’re doing”. I haven’t successfully implemented it however you can look to Instagram today and people see our work and are blown away by it, but we can be so hard on ourselves and not appreciate our own work ourselves.