Jelly Baby Bullet Condoms

Jelly babies are the international symbol of childhood happiness. Their wobbly bodies, featureless faces and sweet texture combine to bring a smile to everyone’s faces.

London-based Italian-born artist Mauro Perucchetti decided to use jelly baby symbolism in a very different way. In ‘Cloning’ (2004), the jelly baby showcased the potential for a featureless future where cloning and religion collide. However, in ‘Jelly Baby Family 2010’, a giant family of jelly babies were erected in Hyde Park, London, to celebrate the unity of family.

Mauro’s mixed metaphors allow the viewer to project their own experiences and ideals onto his work, creating meaning from the simplest thoughts. In ‘Blast’ (2006), colourful grenades sit next to bright red rifles, giving the normally-severe aesthetic of deadly weapons a kitsch makeover. ‘Risky Business’ is a urethane cross embedded with brightly-coloured condoms. Mauro makes colour his friend; the brightness takes away from the oft-confrontational nature of his work.

fluoro talked to Mauro about exploring identity through art, the way religion and art come together, and whether he sees his art as dissident, or something else entirely.

How can a concept like ‘identity’ be explored, expressed and even created through art? Or are we chasing an impossible reality?

Art is an instigator of perceived identity: it leads the spectator to formulate an opinion of who the artist is. But this is not important. What is important is what the art does for the spectator.

In my opinion when an artist is so concerned with self-recognition, he-she is not mature yet, even though people might relate to the experiences and feelings that are personal to the artist.

Art has to be free from all restrictions.

Globalisation has increased the need for personal ‘identity’, hence the prominence of the concept of ‘identity’. People chose to express their identity through ‘accessories’: Art has been particularly embraced in this way.

Do you see your own artwork as ‘dissident’, or is something altogether subtler?

I definitely have the potential for being a dissident but, as I live in one of the most democratic societies for which I have the greatest respect, I would find that being a dissident, even at times, would be a bit of a cheap shot.

Do you try to put your heritage into your art? If so, how?

I was born in a country with so much heritage but I have absorbed at least as much from the other countries I have lived in.

Having said that the best example is my sculpture “Modern Heroes” which blends to perfection my heritage: Hollywood and Michelangelo.

Tell us a little about the work ‘Buddha’.

I had a show in 2006 called BLAST, I was pissed off about Iraq and it was very war oriented.

I decided to introduce a Buddha in the show as a calming influence.

Ironically so many people have Buddha’s in their homes even when they don’t follow his preaching, just as with Jesus or Mohammed.

Give us a little bit of background on how you decided to take this path in art.

From an early age I was probably spending more time drawing, painting and making things with my hands than studying. Of those subjects I did study, I loved history, art and geography, all of which supported my imagination and an unstoppable tendency to dream.

When, for my parent’s sake, I tried to decide what I was going to do in life, I was overwhelmed by all the possibilities.

This, I think, is the first unfortunate sign of a creative mind.

For the next 30 years or so I lived as freely as possible, whilst allowing for the need to make a living, until, at the age of 50 (eleven years ago), I woke up one morning and decided that no amount of money or worldly comforts should keep me from being creative on my own account rather than just on behalf of other people.

I sold my business and my house to finance my move into art.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by the world around us, and especially by current world events and the explosive effect they have had on me and on many other people in our society.

I have a great appreciation for life and suffer a great frustration that derives from the fact that I would like to fix some of the things that are wrong in this world, but I can’t and it pisses me off.

My art is the result of a cocktail of passions: a conscious passion for life and passion at a much more physical and instinctive level, something I can’t describe, some kind of powerful and empowering mix of adrenalin and endorphin which needs to come out. And, finally, a passion for aesthetics.

What do you want your work to achieve?

The greatest reward is for my art be appreciated by everybody and perceived as really up with the pace of today’s events.

I admit it gives me great joy to have young people appreciate my art. It makes me feel that my age has only brought me experience and, so far, in no way slowed me down.

Having said that I would be lying if I didn’t admit that one of the greatest achievements for an artist is to see his work in museums.

Religion and branding, tell us a little about your view on these topics and how you use them within your work?

The Cross with embedded condoms “Risky Business“ is a blatant criticism of the anachronistic policies of the Catholic Church on this subject.

I also think that even Religion has been embracing branding longer that we are aware of and bombarding us with it.

Consumer branding has reached such heights now days, with the many media weapons available, that is just short of brain washing with many victims accountable for.

Bullets, Jelly Babies, condoms, skeletons, Louis Vuitton and the cross; what do you think they have in common?

They are like the bomblets scattered on us by the giant cluster bomb of information.

Your large Jelly Baby installation in London generated quite a lot of interest. What reaction do you want passers by to get from your installation?

I want this particular piece to put a smile on the faces of the onlookers, no matter what age they might be.

I want people to appreciate the unpretentious beauty of this work and the sweet message of unity and respect for family and multicultural society.

Why Jelly babies?

I started to use Jelly Babies in 1999 for a body of work on human cloning and the dilemma between cloning and religion and cloning and medical ethics.

I felt the Jelly Babies were a perfect image to impersonate cloned mankind.

You’re said to be “one of very few artists confronting some of the most fundamental issues of our day.” By ‘comforting’ these issues what do you hope to achieve?

Art is the most honest commentary on the times we live in, I feel privileged to be part of this. We are freer now than we have ever been to express ourselves in this fashion.

I wish I could be a politician to govern fairly, a religious leader to guide pragmatically and a powerful entrepreneur to serve as an example and inspiration to others, but I am none of these. However what I can do hopefully is to create art that makes people think about global issues.

How has art changed within the last few years?

I think the most obvious change is that it has become such a global THING with Art Fairs and the commissioning of landmark Museums playing an important role.

One thing I detest about the art world now days is how much so called art there is out there, which is all concept and no art.

Forgive me if I sound a bit old fashioned in thinking that it would be great for artists to possess some artistic skills but I can settle for just the ability to deliver a concept provided there is some skill visible in the finished product.

The rest is for philosophers and intellectuals who take themselves too seriously and often don’t take the public seriously enough.

Tell us about what you see for your future.

I don’t think about it, it’s like window shopping.