MUTATION 2020

Editor: So, this is Sergio Mario Illuminato's "Mutation" from 2020. It's an acrylic on canvas with, it looks like, some pretty heavy impasto. It has a sort of brooding, textural quality... almost like looking at corroded metal. What jumps out at you? Curator: Well, given its title and creation date, "Mutation" undeniably echoes the social anxieties surrounding the pandemic. But its "matter painting" approach pulls it into dialogue with mid-20th century European art. Consider artists like Fautrier who used thick textures to express the unspeakable horrors of war and occupation. Does this impasto evoke similar feelings for you? Editor: I see what you mean. It definitely carries that weight, but… is it also possible to see this as a broader commentary on the mutations we see happening in the natural world, especially with climate change? Curator: Absolutely. That reading highlights the socio-political element embedded within abstract expressionism. It reminds us that even abstraction engages with concrete issues, serving as a register of its time. Do you think the artist chose acrylics, a relatively modern medium, intentionally to suggest the newness or even the artificiality of these "mutations"? Editor: That's a fascinating idea! I hadn't considered the material itself as part of the statement, but that adds another layer of complexity. I guess abstraction isn't as removed from reality as I thought. Curator: Exactly! Examining the "public life" of art – its connection to historical moments, to audiences, to other artworks and artists - illuminates its layered meanings and cultural roles. Editor: I’m walking away seeing not just a surface, but a deep history embedded in the textures and color. Thanks for unpacking that.