Maurício Porto
Artist statement and short Bio
“My art is defined by the banality of life, by the objects and faces that attract me to portray them, simply by their colors, beauty or expressions. I think the world is surrounded by enough pain, a piece of art should bring a positive reaction. Art must brighten our emotions.”
As far as I can remember I have always been an artist. I have loved drawing since my childhood and my mother was the biggest supporter of my creativity. She was always giving me colored pencils and sketchbooks along with her very positive statements on my first amateur drawings. When I was 16 years old she put me in art classes with a local artist to learn oil on canvas. It was the beginning.
But, I was born in a very small town in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Even though I had my mom’s great incentive, being an artist didn’t seem to be the best option for a man’s future in my family by that time. My father and grandfather were both dentists; from my mother’s family, mostly farmers. So, when I was about to choose a career I opted for advertising, looking at it as a chance to use my imagination. So, I became a bachelor in Marketing & Advertising, graduated in Rio de Janeiro, 1991.
Working for advertising agencies as creative director was great. I started using my spare time to keep painting and learning more by myself, going from the oil technique I’d learned in the one year classes with my art teacher, to the acrylic colors. I also started “sipping” from the advertising world. The inspiration started coming from magazine covers, image bank books, ads, posters, movies, music, and all sorts of media.
How the image of Carmen Miranda got into my art: In 1999, I was working on a design project for a Brazilian restaurateur in New York. The briefing was to use Carmen’s iconic image for the restaurant façade sign. I had the idea of painting her as study material. Looking for images to inspire me, I found her picture on the cover of a Brazilian art magazine. I chose to portray it only in half face, because as she winked at the photographer the expression was a little distorted. Then my first Carmen Miranda portrait was born over a red brushed background, and showing that big smile with the turban adorned by bananas and ornaments. The painting was very well received and sold quickly in a Summer Salon Show at Ward-Nasse Gallery, Soho. I was so excited! It was my first participation in a New York gallery. Carmen Miranda portraits gained evidence in my portfolio, resulting in many commissions and paintings of her in my exhibitions. I’ve painted many Carmens, but she is not the only persona that inspires me, although my portraits on her turned out to be like a trademark of my art style.
What I really love to do: Painting portraits and experiencing that particular emotion between myself and the figure on the canvas is a unique emotion. When the eyes and mouth start to show up on a large size canvas, it feels like bringing it to life. Working on the right shine of the eyes to get the exact personality really fulfills my soul. I listen to loud music all the time when I’m painting, the playlist happens to be very eclectic going from Brazilian Bossa Nova to Madonna, Dua Lipa, Donna Summer, Elton John, Supertramp, Queen, Michael Bublé all kinds of pop songs. Sometimes I find myself singing along. It’s liberating, but singing is definitely not my best talent. :))
The technique: My graphic designer background helps on the way I elaborate my paintings. Creation includes sketching on the computer, composing with elements before transferring to the canvas, even though I still enjoy drawing in graffiti like in the old times. For the paintings I like to mix colors creating new combinations in acrylic for the backgrounds. I paint the faces and other elements in oil, it gives me more time to work on the volume, expressions and shades.
Pop Art and Pop Culture are my passions. I like iconic personalities, biographies are my favorite reading. I have painted Madonna, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn and others. I get highly inspired by people and their personalities. Nature also inspires me a lot, I think this is related to my childhood among trees and farm vacations with my family. I like to mix all elements - flowers, fruits, birds and people in a fashionable and sophisticated atmosphere.
The colors and shapes of objects, the beauty and expressions of people, it all feeds my imagination. I think the world is surrounded by too much pain, a piece of art must bring a positive vibration. Art must brighten the spectator’s emotions.
Mauricio Porto | New York, 2023