We had the chance to interview Mauro C. Martinez in advance of his eagerly anticipated debut exhibition ‘Big Mood’ at Unit London, which is now open and runs through September 29th, 2020.

Artist Bio

Mauro C. Martinez juxtaposes common pictorial forms from art history with the monotonous streams of online imagery that we, as an increasingly digital society, are so often subjected to. Skillfully utilising metaphor, irony and dark humour, Martinez’s paintings respond to the doctrines of internet culture, at once critiquing and mocking our relationship with contemporary imagery. Mauro C. Martinez lives and works in San Antonio, Texas. He attended Pasadena’s Art Centre College of Design and has shown in both solo and group shows across America.

Can you give us a brief introduction about yourself? Where did you grow up and how did you first become interested in art?

I was born and raised in Laredo, Texas right on the US/Mexico border. Growing up there I took for granted how unique it was, precisely because of its location on the border. It’s equally steeped in both American and Mexican culture but not quite pertaining to either. There is a federal checkpoint entering the US from Mexico but there is also a federal checkpoint leaving Laredo in any direction even within the US. In that way it’s sort of geographically locked on both sides. There’s a beautiful sort of code - switching between English and Spanish - that’s developed into a sort of dialect. Most convenience stores carry newspaper publications from Mexico whose censorship laws are very different. The newspapers almost always depict graphic scenes of car accidents or cartel violence on the front page. In many of the convenience stores these newspapers are located next to the ice cream freezer. All of these unique inconsistencies ultimately formed the basis for my understanding and interest in humor and irony as powerful tools within my work. I was fortunate in that I knew from very early on that I wanted to make things. I did not, however, set out to become a painter. I originally went to art school for illustration and before that I wanted to be a cartoonist. Painting happened “by accident” during art school.

You use the phrase ‘quietly disruptive’ on your about page on your website and on social media. We’re curious to know more about what you mean by this!

Some time ago I got a fortune cookie that said “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” It really resonated. For me “quietly disruptive” is like the activated form of that fortune. It also speaks to my belief in art as a powerful tool for personal and social change.

What intrigues you about how people engage with images online considering your work is often centered around themes of dark humor, appropriation, and censorship as it relates to digital culture?

I’m intrigued by the expectations we carry for certain images. We expect certain things from “art images” and they’re often very different from what we expect from memes. When those expectations are not met the response varies depending on the viewer. A marriage of painting and meme allows me to sometimes subvert those expectations. The sensitive content paintings are a perfect example where viewers are often in a frenzy to “see” the photo. The response itself invariably reveals something about the viewer in the exchange. I’m never out to elicit either a positive or negative response, but rather to document.

Tell us about the new work that will be exhibited with Unit London. What are ‘cursed images’ and why did you choose them as your subject?

“Cursed image” is an internet meme that operates almost antithetically to other image types. For example, the large painting of the boy featuring the Gerhard Richter painting. Who is he? Why does he have a Gerhard Richter painting and why is it on the floor? It leaves you with more questions than it does answers and it’s very much by design. The reference photo originally came from this awesome Instagram account @greatartinuglyrooms. I'm not sure if the creator behind the account makes them specifically as cursed images, but I wouldn’t be surprised. In a deeper sense, this brand of image also feels like a very real reflection of some larger collective condition. That’s why I think they’re worth being painted.

What do you hope viewers take away from seeing your work?

I hope people can see a bit of my curiosity. I don’t think I have any lessons to impart or anything. I want people to walk away from that show thinking man that guy loves to paint.

About UNIT LONDON

Since the brand’s inception in 2013, Unit London has established a global artistic platform for the world’s most distinctive emerging talent. In an often opaque and impenetrable art world, Unit London seeks to identify, cultivate and expose works of art on a purely meritocratic basis. The gallery has successfully launched and advanced the careers of numerous important contemporary artists and remains a bastion of equity, innovation and sustainability.

Unit London prides itself on being an open and transparent institution whose purpose is to expand and diversify contemporary art audiences. In its reluctance to simply follow the traditional gallery formula, Unit London has become synonymous with the pioneering use of social media and digital content. The gallery endeavours to act as an orator and mediator: telling the story of today’s most gifted artists, whilst bridging the gap between the physical and virtual spheres of the art world; connecting people with the art they love.