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1994-99 Bedrooms

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On painting
Interview in Paris on February 26 and 27, 2005
by Philippe Villaume and Pascal Bordenave
Translation from French to English by Jacquelyn White

(extract)

P. B.: Mauro, the crucifixion theme is a pictorial genre in itself that some contemporary artists continue to explore today. How would you define your personal approach to the subject?
M. B.: I have always been attracted by this theme, on one hand because of its moral implications and on the other because it enables me to confront “art history”. What I'm mainly interested in is the discussion of the different and misunderstood individual who is martyred because of his diversity. Christ on the cross is an emblem of the forsaken man, alone, unjustly condemned by his people. A man who does not accept the laws of his society and who consequently is not able to find his place in it. But he is also an individual with an enormous amount of energy, ready to sacrifice his life in the name of his ideas.

P. B.: Could a parallel be drawn between the figure of Christ and that of the artist, a person who is different and a little marginal with respect to society?
M. B.: It's possibile. It's true that the figure of Christ is that of a subversive individual, yet at the same time creative, an artist could legitimately see himself in that figure...
In a way, as in the series depicting the mountains and the trees, Christ on the crucifix is a symbol. Many people have a crucifix in their homes, but how many people think it's a representation of a dead man when they look at it? Christ represents the physical dimension, man, meeting the divine dimension. The crucifixion is the passage from life to death and for Christians from the earthly dimension to the heavenly one. I believe it's not a coincidence that this event takes place on a mountain.
If there's a limit to this series of paintings it's that the subject lacks some shades of meaning without it really lending itself to being treated differently. The crucifixion is tragedy, solitude, sadness. In my opinion Christ on the cross is also a mirror of our body that falls apart, that gets old. Let's say I tried to give shape to this moment and make it eternal.