Mattia Guarnera-MacCarthy

Mattia Guarnera-MacCarthy's artistic practice revolves around exploring the human condition, employing visual language borrowed from sports and entertainment as a catalyst for deeper understanding. Fascinated by the complexities and nuances that permeate everyday life, Guarnera-MacCarthy strives to capture and dissect these intricacies through his work. In his most recent practice, he has delved into exploring contemporary aesthetics, zooming in closer to textures, fabrics, and figures, utilizing perspective and focus to visually romanticize life. With a particular focus on removing ‘sport from sporting,’ Guarnera-MacCarthy aims to delve into underlying themes that resonate strongly with contemporary society. Through his artistic lens, he brings attention to often overlooked scenes and moments, recognizing their potential to evoke compelling allegorical, ideological, and philosophical debates that may otherwise remain unexpressed. By shedding light on these subtleties, the artist seeks to initiate conversations that challenge preconceived notions and encourage contemplation. 

The outcomes of Guarnera-MacCarthy's artistic endeavors exhibit a deliberate mystical vagueness, purposefully devoid of concrete conclusions. Existing in a state of limbo, they invite viewers to engage with the works, pondering and interpreting their meanings. This approach reflects a Buddhist-like or Carl Jung’s-inspired ideology that embraces the paradoxical nature of existence. Within this realm, opposing forces such as good and evil, pain and glory, digital and real, clear and vague coexist and intertwine. Through his work, Guarnera-MacCarthy strives to bring attention to these dualities, exploring the interconnectedness that lies within them. Ultimately, Guarnera-MacCarthy's artistic goal is to provoke introspection and foster meaningful dialogue. His work serves as a mirror, reflecting viewers' own experiences and perceptions. By delving into the complexities of the human condition through the lens of sports and entertainment, he aims to illuminate profound truths that lie beneath the surface, encouraging viewers to question and explore their relationship with the world around them.

Collect Bean: What is one of your current goals as an artist?

Mattia Guarnera: Visibility and validation were prevalent aspirations for my art for a long time. Not because I sought them out but because it felt like it was what the world imposed on me. However, in the last year, as things have accrued in my personal life and as I uncover the potential opportunities for artists in my position, I think my main goal is really to live a good life, using my art as a vessel to open doors and propel me into opportunities and positions I otherwise wouldn’t found myself in. Ultimately, this is what an artist can hope for – a life full of adventure, exploration, and connection, which in turn further evolves our work.

Collect Bean: How do you approach the balance between experimentation and consistency in your art?

Mattia Guarnera: I believe that experimentation and, more importantly, evolution are fundamental to an artist's role. I view my practice as an ever-evolving snowball, picking up and building on ideas as time passes, and I gain more inspiration from life and art. Because of this, I always try to look forward, trusting that past experimentation will inevitably influence new works. It's about balance and following your heart while not overly holding onto the past but trusting it will positively inform your future. 

Collect Bean: How do you see your artwork fitting into the larger art world or art history?

Mattia Guarnera: I see my work as very contemporary and relevant to our current lived experience. One of the things that excites and engages me most is capturing an intangible, cosmically shared experience that taps into a mystic zeitgeist. I see a growing community of artists doing just this, and this community excites me most about the art world today. While it doesn’t formally have a name, I've always referred to it as "Post Digital." A term coined by London contemporary artist Oli Epp. I love this term because it captures an inherently true state of reality that we live in, a state of limbo between reality and digitality, acknowledging the profound impact technology has had on our lived experience. 

Collect Bean: How does where you grew up influence your work?

Mattia Guarnera: Where I grew up has profoundly impacted my practice and who I am. Above all, it informed the vibe of my work—the feeling and aesthetic. Having lived all my life in South East London, Peckham, I've experienced a collective code of conduct and shared modality for navigating the world, born out of resilience and self-preservation. Being mixed-race in this diverse environment forced me to develop a sense of duality and nuance. My practice is an amalgamation of these elements, expressing my lived experiences and ideologies. 

Collect Bean: Do you have a saying that you live by? 

Mattia Guarnera: Recently, I came across a simple yet powerful quote by Marcus Aurelius, "The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." I find the truest sayings to be the most basic and accessible. This quote came to me at the right time, and I also apply it to my practice as an artist because it reminds me of the level of control I have to keep pushing forward when I feel stuck. The narrative and perspective we have of ourselves greatly impact our work and ability to conjure new ideas.

Collect Bean: If you had to describe your work in only three words, what would they be

Mattia Guarnera: Current, accessible, yet vague.