Michelangelo Mandich in his studio Michelangelo Mandich presents to us striking vistas with an eerie, spectral lightness which frequently contain isolated figures. The scenes are surrealist, allegorical—buildings and figures twist and buckle, figures remain inconcrete, out of context and solid forms writhe. These scenes exude a powerful feeling of stillness despite all the movement, which is perhaps what contributes to the otherworldly, borderline melancholic feel to the paintings. Out of the calm emerges a clarity not like that of emerging reality, but instead more redolent of the certainties of a lucid dream.
Mandich possesses a wonderful mastery of oils, employing them subtly to build layers of soft texture which add depth to the otherwise flat surfaces. His brushstrokes no longer visible, the surfaces glow with static energy. Mandich tends towards a palette of varied hues of blue, so that dusk is eternal in his paintings. Lifted by the glow of brick red, ochre and burnt umber, which add depth and tone, these outdoor scenes are lit as if by artificial light.

It is to the masters of the Italian Renaissance that Mandich turns for guidance and inspiration. Carpaccio, Giorgione, Titian—themselves admirers of the ancient masters—bring myriad Classical influences into Christian art. Mandich is an inheritor of this tradition, employing Christian and mythological symbolism into his works. Sometimes these express hidden meaning, but they are also sometimes there to obfuscate and confuse the viewer, so that we must be constantly aware and attentive in Mandich’s presence.

 These works are not easily readable—they are intentionally complex and demanding of the viewer, exacting from them the same high standards they themselves embody.

In creating his works, Mandich encapsulates his emotions and experiences as if the paintings are in some way a votive confession, making everything plain in coded detail. The confessions of his painted world of surreal magic illuminate dusk for us all.

Michelangelo Mandich was born in Venice. Despite moving through many Italian cities, it is Venice that echoes through his paintings.

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