The evolution of contemporary art over many decades has contributed, not a little,
to change aesthetic taste, which has certainly been reflected in the fields of fashion,
design and not least, the new media. The relationship with a pre-established reference
dogma - aimed at defining precise parameters of harmony and proportion - has
been progressively modified, especially in the West, with the affirmation of a mass
culture that is, if not subversive, at least conditioned by unstoppable technological
progress. Aesthetics has thus undergone a formal upheaval, often distancing itself
from the Ethics with which it was ideally linked in its highest meaning. The twentieth
century saw the emergence of the first transgressive expressions, we might say of
‘rupture’, compared to established tradition, which replaced Reason with an
emotional and visual impact that was sometimes an end in itself. The idea of
‘concept’, of ‘transversal’ provocation, was for a long time (and in part still is) the
new imperative, nullifying centuries and centuries of history of rational thought, of
executive canons and of undisputed ethical values.
After these avant-garde experiences, today it is really difficult to understand
the direction of Art. One has the impression of cruising by sight between
social, political and ideological divisions and everything seems to be spinning
in uncertainty and cultural relativism. Perhaps for all these reasons set out in
the introduction, Francesco Mazzi’s art seems like an oasis in which to linger
willingly and with genuine pleasure, as if it were a moment of serene meditation.
Much has been written about him in the various international publications,
demonstrating an expressiveness that is really liked, amply rewarded by an
undoubted consensus also on the market. A public success that has given rise
to a quality brand (and a patent, the 3D Frame Push Up, a system that displays
the canvases outside the frame) in the happy blend, as the author himself points
out, of oriental minimalism and all-Italian elegance. And it is precisely in this last
phrase that lies the key that can perhaps explain the bewitching attraction of his
works, the preciousness full of light that provokes involvement and arouses that
respect that comes from perceiving the sense of the sacred, of the sublime that
moves the subtle chords of our sensitivity. In the never-ending era of conceptualism
and visual sensationalism, Mazzi intends to follow a different path, starting from
that criterion of essentiality that derives from the pure observation of Nature
without any other compromises, in the miracle of forms and colours with which
it is generously rich. But identifying the subject, the source of inspiration, is only
the first step. That wonderful preciousness from which we all derive needs an
incisive and powerful characterization in the visual symbol expressed. Hence
the use of resin-based varnishes, glues, textured pastes, oil paintings, precious
woods for the frames (an integral part of the work itself) and, above all, gold,
silver, platinum and diamonds to evoke in the uniqueness of their brilliance, that
spirit of the sacredness of Things that has always inhabited the heart of man, and
which constitutes the link between Earth and Heaven. Artists of all times have
used gilding for divine representations, for example, or to exalt the cult of the
Sun, just as silver contains in itself more ‘lunar’ characteristics. Just think of the
Egyptians or the gold backgrounds of the artists of the early Renaissance, above
all. Mazzi recovers this ancient tradition by making his creations unrepeatable
and exclusive, unique pieces that are the result of meticulous work and careful
technical methodology that can leave nothing to chance. But luxury art is not
a useless and vacuous display of wealth or exhibitionistic ostentation, quite
the contrary. This choice has deep motivations and, for Mazzi’s sensitive and
attentive character, very profound meanings. Luxury is understood as a return to
human value. It is supreme respect for Nature, it is celebration and tribute for the
continuous miracles of strength, life and tenacity that she teaches us every day,
prisoners in the disorder of existence. The refined manner of execution and the
choice of the best materials have this undoubtedly didactic purpose. The land of
cherry blossoms and volcanoes, where the fabulous atelier in Osaka is located,
suggests endless inspirations. Others, the Italian landscape, whose bond is always
strong. Then there are the myths, legends, ancient cults of the heroes, the houses
of the gods, the mountains. The reminiscences emerge from the Unconscious, they
go beyond the power of suggestion, they reveal themselves in the heart and mind
to become an event of Conscience in the practical manifestation of the reliefs on
canvas, as well as in the vivid colours. The artist, therefore, does not lose himself
in the meanders of the most hermetic metaphysics or of that intellectual extremism
that in the past has found profound reasons - and alternate fortunes - precisely in
the spectacular manipulation of matter for speculative purposes in the relationship
with the market. Mazzi’s very careful interventions take their cue from simple
observations acquired in moments dedicated to contemplative meditation. Here
is another aspect of luxury, especially in the contemporary frenzy: having the
time to admire the truth of Beauty around us, perceiving the breath of the small
lives of flowers and fruits of the sun, bees and butterflies. Enjoy the freshness and
listening to the voice of water, reading the codes of the woods and discovering
that everything has a Memory and its own Consciousness. Under the artist’s lens,
Nature is revealed in the absolute splendour of the surfaces, in the thickening
of the pastes and complementary materials, together with the three-dimensional
effect of ‘sculpted’ painting. Here, Art goes beyond mannerist decorativism and
returns to its ancient role: that of connecting us with the Whole to which we
belong. We like to conclude with a brief reflection by the artist, taken from his
inner diary: ‘Art enriches life and its ultimate function is to make people happier’.
What can we say... it would be a pity not to share with him this dream studded
with timeless images. A dream that goes beyond rigid psychological cages and
lacerating ideologies and that, in the metphor of the Simplicity of Nature, unites
East and West in a unique dimension where everyone can recognize the infinite
secrets of Life dressed in Wonder.

Giancarlo Bonomo