ABOUT MOTHER OF PEARL
Artist: Marco Grassi
Land of Origin: Italy
Mother of Pearl recalls different meanings under this delicate form of a young woman. Her hands resemble an ancient motif of Venere Pudica, loved by artists throughout the centuries. She seems to be the very symbol of archetypical purity, which sacralizes the female figure while also exalting her. She attains this with an heir of strength, as opposed to obedience. The portrayal of indescribable realism, but juxtaposed with something all Marco’s own, are what so many viewers seek in a piece of original and identifiable paintings. Here, the skin seems to merge with the ornamentation of luminous pearl buttons, cascading from collar to flesh. What a glorious and enticing hint of surreal content wrapped within a realistic and seemingly nostalgic masterpiece.
At the same time, she points discretely at her breast, underlining her position as a mother. This ambiguous concept can reflect the figure of Mother Nature which somehow combines both of those antithetical elements of the purity, and the fertility. It comes as no surprise given this old world technique juxtaposed with his fresh and unmistakable style, that the work would glow in ways that seem to marry the past and present. We’ve come to yearn for impeccable standards of beauty in art that inspire us, transport us and make us raise the bar for that which is truly intoxicating.
The pearl button collar is beautifully encompassing and merges downward as though grown organically from parts of the flesh of Marco Grassi’s dreamed beauty. It’s not difficult to recognize a connection between the female subject and her own ability to make gold of rags.
Building on this concept is the presentation of an artificial material, a convincingly crackled layer of ornate porcelain, that appears to be a transformation of her flesh. It represents the imprisonments of nature by humans. But the figures depicted on the pottery, birds, flora, and clear blue sky, are still the symbols of freedom and hope for emancipation from these constraints. “The Mother of Pearl” depicts a belief of escape from a dramatic situation that often feels frozen and restrictive.