 |
| Deus Ex Machina |
"The mask in this portrait disguises nothing, for the eyes are obvious, but it does arouse curiosity and unease, as masks sometimes do. Despite the tight fit of the shirt with its chain-like threading, open at the neck, there’s disarray in this portrait, a devil-may-care attitude indicated by the strands of loose hair amidst the necklaces, which themselves point to something out of the ordinary, as if the psychology or morality of the man is as tangled and insouciant as his appearance. The hat crowns the pause, possibly pensiveness, or the look of expectation, something about to happen, or not, or, having happened, stillness now reigns. Because of its size and appearance, the hat attracts attention and acquires significance."
~ Kenneth Radu (A Man of Many Hats: Macri's Millinery Motif)
“Macri occasionally presents us with the comic and satirical, just for the fun of it, just to turn our self-importance and pomposity upside down, as in the clever portrait with the highly-charged name, Deus Ex Machina, which reminds me of a 19th century London chimney sweep. Both funny and disturbing, the figure seems to be laden with a jumble of elements taken from other portraits, as if the artist is making fun, not only of himself, but also of someone like me who tries to meander among the intimations and imagine plausible scenarios.”
“Both funny and disturbing, the figure seems too be laden with a jumble of elements.”
"Oddly, I now begin to view the wonderfully comic Deux Ex Machina as a portrait of Death, a kind of trickster figure who appears suddenly, like supernatural intervention, to solve the mystery and end the game. And so, despite my own descent into melancholy, I don’t feel the Hour of Lead applies to this portrait as much as it does to Salvo."
~ Kenneth Radu (The Agonies & The Execution: Portraits by Adamo Macri)
- - - - - - - - - -
"First impression - Victorian Mystery Man.. a Gentleman who hides his identity, not because he is choosing to be deceptive, but rather - to pass by undetected/anonymous in order to slip away into the shadows."
~ Theresa Pope Church (American scientist)
- - - - - - - - - -
“Very piratic or Feigin kind of.”
~ Irina Gabiani (Artist, Luxembourg)
- - - - - - - - - -
"Un homme portant un masque sombre et des vêtements qui lui donnent un air très mystérieux."
~ Michael K Waterman (Multi-media artist, New York, Savannah Georgia)
- - - - - - - - - -
"I noticed how beautiful your eyes are. I just had my morning coffee, and it makes me see better."
~ Ida Tomshinsky (International Fine Arts College, Library Director Florida National University)
- - - - - - - - - -
"Somehow, this led me to the "Days of Lead".. and today just so happens to be the day of the Piazza Fontana bombing. Molto interesante. I see the anarchist behind the mask."
~ John Felice Ceprano (Ottawa rock sculptor, painter)
Deus Ex Machina, 2022
Photography: Chromogenic C-print
51 x 51 cm
