Body Snatchers
For Italian artist Gabriele Maruotti, 3D takes centre stage within his work as he plays around with the concept of using commonly used objects in unanticipated contexts. In order to produce work Gabriele uses a selection of different softwares, he then merges the outcomes together to create finished pieces that are completely unique. Gabriele says himself that he wants to create in a way that upsets him in a good way. As a result of this his work could be described as grotesque or something that makes you feel uncomfortable. Taking inspiration from the mundane, to cinema and even his childhood, Gabriele speaks to Coeval all about his work and where he plans to direct it in the near future.
What influenced you to practice within the arts?
Definitely the environment where I grew up; one of my older brothers (I'm the youngest of six children) is a stop-motion animator and illustrator and my uncle is a painter. From an early age I have always been fascinated by being able to create something that not only satisfied me in the creative process but that, once completed, attracted and upset me in a good way. It was a rather easy choice then, towards the end of high school to undertake academic studies.
When and why did you decide to create digitally?
It was during my second year at the Academy of Fine Arts. At that time I wanted to be an editor, and joined Rome's most important film school. I should have made a short film, however it was a terrible experience. So much so that I only did the filming and never started editing it, I had already given up. I was not interested in directing other actors, I just wanted to develop my ideas. So that’s when I decided that 3D was the right way.
Your work could be described as grotesque and unearthly - what fabricated you to develop work in this style?
Although my works recall a surreal imaginary, I believe that the grotesque component is due to the fact that they depict commonly used elements such as laptops, smartphones and USB cables, used and/or represented in unexpected and absurd contexts. I believe that the real strength of 3D lies in this, in the possibility of creating stills, gifs, videos and interactive experiences where anything is possible. This is why I fell in love with this medium.
On a technical level, how do you create your work?
Starting from the premise that it all comes from absurd images that come into my head. Then juggling different softwares it almost always happens that the initial idea is changed during production in favour of experimentation. I often use six different softwares, each one designed for a certain thing, and then I put it all together. So it's normal for things to f**k up (in a good way) during this process.
Do you work alongside other artists or brands?
Sometimes it happens. It's always cool to see what comes out.
Who and what are your main influences?
Most of the time what drives me to create new stuff is initiated from contexts completely unrelated to 3D. Such as music and cinema, but above all it seems absurd but that's it, the boring reality. It is precisely when I am bored that situations or moods come to me that I would like to recreate in 3D. Lately I've been getting hooked on ‘Old Magic: The Gathering Illustrations and Dungeons & Dragons Manuals’, so I guess with stuff that was a part of my childhood before inspiring me today.
What can we expect to see from you in the near future?
One thing I set out to try in my spare time is to start painting again. Starting from where I left off several years ago but with a different approach and sensitivity. As for the digital, as I mentioned before, the 80s and 90s fantasy mood is a strong influence right now, so I'm super curious and excited to make it intertwine with my imaginary inhabited by strange humanoids, smartphones and computers.
interview GABY MAWSON
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