Fernando Mastrangelo

Fernando Mastrangelo (born 13 October 1978) is a Brooklyn-based contemporary artist. He received his M.F.A. in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA (2004), his B.F.A. from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle (2002) and attended the Pilchuck Glass School (2001). Mastrangelo became notable in the press for his use of controversial materials as in the case of "Felix", a sculpture made from cocaine [1] and "La Salvamara", a series using the cremated ashes from the MS 13 Gang.[2] In 2010, he gave a Ted Talk on the nature of art in the era of social networking, detailing the creative process behind "Al One" his collaboration with Napster founder Shawn Fanning.[3] Mastrangelo is founder of a design firm, Fernando Mastrangelo Studio (FMS), that runs out of his Brooklyn studio.

Recent projects

"Avarice", Cast in imported white Mexican corn [4] Avarice is an appropriation of the Aztec Sun Stone, the original considered one of Mexico's national symbols. Mastrangelo replaces sacral pictographs of the Aztec cosmology with imagery of corn production, corn products and the corporate elements involved as a commentary on the overproduction of maize by a subsidized agricultural sector in United States and its impact on the local population.[5]

"Felix", Known for its use of narcotics as the main material for the sculpture, "Felix" discusses the "secret economy of illegal drugs, from production to consumption, and the antagonisms implicit in this trajectory." [6] The piece deals with the specific case of cocaine, which epitomizes the socio-economic tension that he seeks to depict in the work: from the margins of the undeveloped world, through the toil of impoverished agricultural workers comes a drug whose chief connotation is luxury and expense.[7]

"La Salvamara" (the MS 13 Project), took Mastrangelo to Los Angeles where he created a series of sculptures derived from the infamous gang's tattoos. Mastrangelo created relief sculptures and religious appropriations that were cast in human cremated ash and gunpowder. A feature-length documentary was filmed to capture the process of creating this series and is rumored to be completed in 2012.[8]

"Al One" Furthermore, Mastrangelo worked on Al One (born 2010) where he collaborated with Napster founder Shawn Fanning on a sculptural installation addressing the increasing complexities of social networking.[9]

"Fernando Mastrangelo Studio" In his new studio, Fernando re-contextualizes form and function once again, bringing together materials that fuse his minimalist aesthetic with deft ingenuity and craft. FMS strives to fuse sculpture and design in ways that are not found anywhere else in the market. The core of his practice is Form + Content + Materials.

Selected exhibitions

2018

  • CHUNK, w/Anna Karlin, New York, NY
  • Coal Planter w/Boyd Holbrook, Sight Unseen OFFSITE, New York, NY (solo)
  • The Dream Bookcase, Salone Del Mobile, 1st Dibs, Milan, Italy
  • Salone Del Mobile, Rossana Orlandi, Milan, Italy
  • The Dream, Collective Design Fair, New York, NY (solo)
  • Zona Maco, Mexico City, MX (solo)

2017

  • PAD London, Rosanna Orlandi, London, UK
  • Reverence, Edward Fields, New York, NY (solo)
  • Ridge, Sight Unseen OFFSITE, New York, NY (solo)
  • Ghost & Thaw, Collective Design Fair, New York, NY (solo)
  • ESCAPE, Maison Gerard, New York, NY (solo)
  • ESCAPE, Salone Del Mobile, Rosanna Orlandi, Milan, Italy

2016

  • Salone Art + Design, Maison Gerard, New York, NY
  • FADE, Sight Unseen OFFSITE, New York, NY (solo)
  • Drift Collection, The New, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
  • Collective Design Fair, New York NY (solo)
  • Salone Del Mobile, Rosanna Orlandi, Milan Italy
  • Heavy, James, Art Geneve, Switzerland

2015

  • Anonimo, M Building, Miami FL
  • Drift, RH Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
  • Collective Design Fair, New York NY, (solo)
  • NOTHING, Mike Weiss Gallery, New York, NY (solo)
  • Brooklyn Museum Artist Ball, Brooklyn NY
  • Gold, Neuberger Museum, Purchase, NY

2014

  • IDEA Miami, Institute for the Development of Emerging Art (IDEA) and Kowal+Odermatt Projects, Miami, FL
  • Barriococo: A Sculpture Show, Royal Society of American Art (curated by Ian Cofre), New York, NY
  • Texas Contemporary, Special Projects, Houston, TX
  • Intangible Beauty: Beautiful Women, Kasher/Potamkin Gallery, New York, NY
  • Gold, Bass Museum (curated by Jose Diaz), Miami, FL
  • Storage Wars, Eric Firestone Gallery, East Hampton, NY
  • Good Taste, Bank of America Center, Houston, TX

2013

  • Medallions, Kowal+Odermatt, Miami, FL
  • Medallions, Charest-Weinberg, Texas Contemporary, Houston, TX
  • Group Show, Kowal+Odermatt, Miami, FL
  • Elle Décor Showhouse, Miami, FL
  • Special Projects, Scope Show, Miami, FL
  • Maize y Mas: From Mother to Monster, Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americano, San Jose, CA

2012

  • EAF 12, Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City, NY
  • Connecting Cultures, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

2011

  • Black Sculpture, Charest-Weinberg Gallery, Miami Fl

2010

  • Tondo, FAS Contemporary, London UK
  • LA Salvamara (MS13 Project), Mendes Wood Gallery, New York NY

2009

  • Herd Thinner, Charest-Weinberg Gallery, Miami FL
  • CHIMERA, Curated by David Hunt, Miami FL
  • Data Panic, Cuchifritos Artspace, New York, NY
  • Felix, Volta Show NY, "Age of Anxiety" New York, NY
  • "LoVE is a smoke made with the fume of sighs...", Kumukumu Gallery New York, NY[10]

2008

  • Avarice, Mendes Wood Gallery, Miami, FL & Basel Switzerland
  • Intransit, Moti Hasson Gallery, New York NY
  • Deadliest Catch: Hamptons, South Hamptons, NY

2007

  • Red Badge of Courage, Newark Arts Council, Newark NJ
  • "Eastasia", Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center, New York NY

2006

  • malicia, Rare Gallery, New York NY

2005

  • Waiting for the Barbarians, RARE plus, New York NY
  • Le Desert de Retz, Massimo Audiello Gallery, New York NY
  • Ergonomicon, Consolidated Works, Seattle WA

2004

  • Madison's Cave, Keith Talent Gallery, London UK
  • MFA Thesis Exhibition, Anderson Gallery, Richmond VA

Bibliography

Public lectures
  • Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn NY 2013
  • TEDxSoMa, "Capturing the Zeitgeist" 2010
  • Morrisville State College, New York, NY 2010
  • Colgate University, New York, NY 2010
  • Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA 2010
  • TEDxSoMa, "Capturing the Zeitgeist" 2010
  • Morrisville State College, New York 2010
  • Colgate University, New York 2010
  • Wichita State University, Kansas 2008
  • Pratt Institute, Sculpture Department, New York NY 2007
  • Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA 2006
  • University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA 2005
  • Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA 2005
  • University of Virginia, Sculpture Department, Charlottesville VA 2002

References
  1. Narcotic Art New York Post, March 2009
  2. Katy Donoghue, "Thinning the Herd" Archived 2012-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, Whitewall Magazine, Dec. 2009
  3. TedxSoma Archived 2011-09-07 at the Wayback Machine Sep 08
  4. Brooklyn Museum, Contemporary Art Collections, 2008
  5. Erin Dyer, "Fernando Mastrangelo" Juxtapoz Magazine, (featured interview) Oct. 2010
  6. Narcotic Art New York Post, March 2009
  7. Erin Dyer, "Fernando Mastrangelo" Juxtapoz Magazine, Oct. 2010
  8. Contact Project NYC, Trailer 2010
  9. TedxSoma Archived 2011-09-07 at the Wayback Machine Sep 08
  10. Benjamin Sutton, "Whatever Remains", L magazine, Feb. 2009
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