Mallmann, Arturo

Arturo Mallmann

REFUGE, mixed media on panel, 30 x 30 inches
REFUGE, mixed media on panel, 30 x 30 inches
SECOND THOUGHTS, mixed media on panel, 30 x 30 inches
SECOND THOUGHTS, mixed media on panel, 30 x 30 inches
SECRET PORTAL, mixed media on panel, 30 x 30 inches
SECRET PORTAL, mixed media on panel, 30 x 30 inches
LAKESIDE WONDERING, mixed media on panel, 30 x 30 inches
LAKESIDE WONDERING, mixed media on panel, 30 x 30 inches
THE SCALES OF TIME, mixed media on panel, 25.5 x 38 inches
THE SCALES OF TIME, mixed media on panel, 25.5 x 38 inches
DISJOINTED APPARITIONS, acrylic/resin, 24 x 48 inches
DISJOINTED APPARITIONS, acrylic/resin, 24 x 48 inches
DISTANT RETREAT2, acrylic/resin, 36 x 48 inches
DISTANT RETREAT2, acrylic/resin, 36 x 48 inches
A FADING WORLD, acrylic/resin, 48 x 48 inches
A FADING WORLD, acrylic/resin, 48 x 48 inches
TOWARDS THE UNKNOWN, acrylic/resin, 24 x 48 inches
TOWARDS THE UNKNOWN, acrylic/resin, 24 x 48 inches
DISTANT SHORES, acrylic/resin, 36 x 36 inches
DISTANT SHORES, acrylic/resin, 36 x 36 inches
FAR AWAY LAND, acrylic and epoxy resin on board, 36 x 72 inches
FAR AWAY LAND, acrylic and epoxy resin on board, 36 x 72 inches
MADRE E HIJA, 18 x 24 in., acrylic/resin on board
MADRE E HIJA, 18 x 24 in., acrylic/resin on board
LIGHTHOUSE OF DREAMS, 24 x 36 in., acrylic/resin on board
LIGHTHOUSE OF DREAMS, 24 x 36 in., acrylic/resin on board
GUIDED BY THE UNREACHABLE, 24 x 36 in., acrylic/resin on board
GUIDED BY THE UNREACHABLE, 24 x 36 in., acrylic/resin on board
PRIMORDIAL MOTIONS, acrylic and epoxy resin on board, 36 x 36 inches
PRIMORDIAL MOTIONS, acrylic and epoxy resin on board, 36 x 36 inches
ECHOES OF BEING, acrylic/resin, 36 x 36 inches
ECHOES OF BEING, acrylic/resin, 36 x 36 inches
LOST, mixed media on panel, 24 x 24 inches
LOST, mixed media on panel, 24 x 24 inches
SECRET WHISPERS, acrylic/resin, 24 X 24 inches
SECRET WHISPERS, acrylic/resin, 24 X 24 inches
ENIGMATIC MURMURS, acrylic/resin, 24 X 24 inches
ENIGMATIC MURMURS, acrylic/resin, 24 X 24 inches
acrylic and epoxy resin on board, 12 x 12 inches
acrylic and epoxy resin on board, 12 x 12 inches

Arturo Mallmann was born in 1953 in Montevideo, Uruguay, but lived most of his life in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He studied sociology at the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires and spent a few years writing poetry and short stories before teaching himself to paint and draw.

“Since I was a kid, I always wanted to go to places where I could look very far away, be it the mountains, the ocean, or the never-ending horizon of the Argentinean Pampas. I never knew what to say when people asked me what I was looking at. I guess that what I liked was precisely that there was nothing, in particular, to look at; it was a great feeling of liberation for my frequently turbulent soul. When I start a painting, my first motivation is to develop a space that presents no barriers to the eyes. That is why depth is so important to me. For many years, I’ve been developing a technique that, more than creating an illusion of depth, transforms the painting into real three-dimensional space. This technique consists of innumerable layers of translucent acrylic colors applied between several coats of clear epoxy resin. One coat of the resin equals around fifty coats of varnish, so after a few coats of resin, you can build up the surface of the painting to an inch thick or more. The interaction of all these layers of colors between the coats of clear resin increases the depth. It creates a much more vibrating final effect than the one you get when the colors are applied, one on top of the other, without anything in between. When I finish a painting, it is sometimes difficult to tell the dominant color. You can say it is green or red, but if you look carefully, you see that whatever color you are looking at is not just that color but the result of multiple interactions instead. I place the human beings in my paintings very far away from the viewer, usually so close to the horizon that they frequently look on the verge of disappearing. I do that to increase the depth further. I want those human beings to be surrounded by a vast, naked, and mysterious universe that presents no distractions, which is very different from the urban environment where most people spend their lives these days. This environment is hopefully more conducive to approaching our deepest selves.”

Arturo Mallmann’s abstract landscapes emanate a lustrous sheen reminiscent of glass canvases, yet they are crafted without actual glass. Mallmann employs a meticulous technique involving multiple layers of clear epoxy resin interlaced with translucent acrylic colors. This method allows the colors to seep through each layer, creating a mesmerizing depth as they progressively amalgamate.

Rather than inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the scenery, Mallmann’s compositions adopt a distant perspective, positioning observers as voyeurs peering into the depicted scenes. Often featuring a sparse gathering of figures traversing an indeterminate terrain, his works evoke a sense of curiosity, prompting viewers to ponder the journey’s ultimate destination.

While human figures may not feature prominently in all of Mallmann’s paintings, many of his paintings illuminate the intersection of land and water, seamlessly blending into the encompassing sky. Vibrant hues of greens and blues merge to form an ethereal vista, evoking a sense of transience and wonder.

Additionally, Mallmann’s oeuvre occasionally delves into tropical landscapes, a homage to his upbringing in Uruguay and Argentina, infusing his work with nostalgic undertones.

“A vast imaginary landscape with one or more figures in the distance, wondering about their existence, has been a recurrent subject matter in my work. I have now introduced new types of images that are more inspired by contemporary life instead of being inspired by deep existential issues. In those images, depth is not as relevant, but it still plays a vital role.

I use the same technique I have been experimenting with for many years in both the traditional and new work. This technique involves applying innumerable coats of translucent acrylic paint between varnish and epoxy resin coats. Sanding before applying the resin and the paint’s transparency allows the layers underneath to show up and interact with the new ones.

In many of the pieces, the eyes of the viewer, together with the eyes of the figures, are interrupted by a thick, foggy atmosphere that prevents them from seeing much further. A hazy atmosphere where we wander around and are never able to trespass. In the new work, the characters or the shapes themselves are elusive and refuse to reveal their mysteries. To me, that thick foggy atmosphere, as well as the elusive shapes and persons, represent the barrier beyond which lie the answers to those questions we so frequently pose to ourselves and the universe. Questions about our unknown origins and the meaning of our existence.”

Arturo Mallmann

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