Lorenzo Mattotti: ‘Transversality’ as a Driver of Creativity

Lorenzo Mattotti is an important artist. I discovered him by chance after buying a poster from a bookseller in 2010, which now hangs in the centre of my library. When I resumed my artistic endeavours back in early 2016, I did a lot of research on cartoonists, comic books and artists in the hope of finding meaning in my quest and feeding my creativity.

I quickly learned more about Mattotti through his blog and a large exhibition in 2015 in Landerneau, organised by the Fond Hélène et Édouard Leclerc (FHEL) The publishing house created by this fund, MEL Publisher, has published two of Mattotti’s monographs: ‘Books’ and ‘Drawings and Paintings’. I devoured both of them and discovered every facet of his art.

Lorenzo Mattotti is first of all a great comic book author. I am particularly thinking of ’Chimera’ (2006), ‘Stigmata’ (2011) and ‘Guirlanda’ (2018): all three in black and white, with powerful and/or romantic coming-of-age stories. I also think of his masterpiece illustrated entirely in black and white: ‘Oltremai’ (2013). Following his work on the Grimm brothers’ fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, this graphic work comprises a succession of spontaneous drawings, done without preliminary sketches or preparatory work.

Mattotti is also an incredible illustrator, masterfully handling colours through his pastel, pencil and acrylic work. In ‘Works’ (2012), Mattotti celebrates his use of colour, bringing together his work in illustration for the covers of The New Yorker, his posters for major festivals, his portraits and his urban or imagined landscapes.

What makes Lorenzo Mattotti’s work extraordinary is its stylistic diversity. This multi-talented artist skilfully and elegantly switches from black and white to colour while still beautifully serving his subject. It is this ‘transversality’ – a term too often thrown about – that I admire. It is the ability to adapt a technique, a style or an atmosphere, whatever the medium, format or printing process.

Transversality is something I deeply resonate with in my own work in graphics. In fact, this ability to move from one technique to another has become a key element of my work. I could be starting a series of black and white drawings using Chinese ink, only to then change direction and work directly in pastel or acrylic paint. When I feel that I am getting bored or that I am repeating myself, a mechanism is triggered within me that forces me to reinvent my tools, my support and even my entire theme.

The difficulty in admiring an artist like Mattotti is obviously resisting the temptation to appropriate some of his work. It is essential to keep a certain distance, in order to construct your own identity and universe.

To Lorenzo Mattotti’s blog