Much has changed for international artist Raphael Mazzucco since he last visited us in 2018 for his 25th anniversary tour, The Never-Ending Summer . Most notably, he and his family have moved from their home in Montauk (New York state’s acknowledged epicentre for bohemian creativity, and - as many a keen collector will remember - the inspiration behind his debut collection for Castle Fine Art) to Lebanon, Conneticut.
While his post code (sorry, zip code) may have changed, Raphael’s innate and wholly uncontrived ability to tease inspiration from his immediate environment remains unchanged. Arguably, it is stronger than ever before, as we see from his 2019 collection of original artworks, Gaia. Taking his title from the Greek word yaia (gaia), a parallel form of yn (ge) meaning ‘earth’, Raphael leaves us in no doubt that we are looking at the results of total immersion on his part into his new world. Mother Nature is shown as all- consuming, gently demanding of our attention. Simultaneously exhibiting the strength of a robust tree that towers into the sky as it has done for millennia, and will continue to do for years to come, with the delicate fragility of the leaves that tree bears; the overall effect is entrancing. Touring with Gaia across the length and breadth of the UK, allowed Raphael to deliver this narrative in person to the crowds that gathered to meet him. Bystanders noted the acutely varied responses that people experienced when viewing the art for the first time. Some spoke of feeling a softened sadness, and were moved to remain in front of certain pieces for a long period, trying to reconcile the
cause of the melancholy. Others were buoyed by the feeling that beauty was being celebrated, for no reason other than it should be. To some, it heralded a stark warning that nature will not take mankind’s assault on her earth without retaliation, and they interpreted a clear defiance and challenge in the eyes of Raphael’s female form staring out at them. He says: “In this collection, I have seen an importance in painting the band across the eyes. This is not actually to cover, but suggests it is coming off and being broken down. In the same respect, it could be seen as the war paint of Mother Earth getting ready to push back.” is no right or wrong answer beyond the one that speaks loudest to each of us. Whilst the summer sadly has ended this time, and the tour has now finished, Raphael’s work can still be viewed at Castle Fine Art galleries across the UK. In essence, this collection is all things to all people, and there
Gaia RAPHAEL MAZZUCCO
90 FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN2019
FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN2019 91
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