le mamaluc Painting

Mauro Picinni Leopardi «Quetzal» (from Quetzalcoatl, the mythical plumed serpent, divinity and high priest of central american ceremonies) was born in Bari, on august 3rd 1959 where he lives and work. He has grown up in an artistic environement, completed classical studies and graduated in law school. Tiavelling in those same years in the United States, he spent increasingly longer periods in Mexico, Guatemala and Perù. These travelling experiences inspired him to express his own emotions in verses, akin to those of the poets and writers of the Beat Generation. During this same period, this period he starts to draw and the Aztec-Maya influence is quite perceptible. These drawings are sketched in clear lines, with no hesitation, and reflect Miro's and Klee's school. The figures, however, are close to the pre- Columbian "Totem" theme. These Totems are emblematic figures, surrounded by large frames of mythical animals and intricate vegetation, producing ornamental and magic images. In 1987, Picinni leopardi gives uo the legal profession definitely and decides to devote himself comptetely to painting .At the present time the artist is going through a very personal visual research where at large and deep brushstrokes of jet black he blends a wide use of primary and pure tones, so generating a strong chromatic impact over sometimes white milk tone backgrounds, sometimes warm and sunny yellow ochra backgrounds remindful of the sands of the desert or over dreaming blues where the colour shatters into thousands of droplets, creating the effect of a galatic emulsion.