mauro corda - Opera Gallery

MAURO CORDA
Corda’s love of sculpture prevailed at the tender of age 15 having enrolled at the Beaux-Arts in
Reims. He then continued his technical training at the Paris Beaux-Arts where he won first prize,
and with that the beginning of his somewhat tumultuous friendship with Jean Cardot. At 23 Corda
tragically lost his elder brother Salvatore in an unexpected accident. Following this, his works
became imbued with much more pain; lowered heads, cast down eyes almost in tears, and open
hands. Corda met his wife Alicia following his acceptance to Casa Velázquez in Madrid. At this point
his sculptures developed a harshness which originated with the death of his brother. A fondness of
male love, absence, contemplation and androgyny dominated his works; a posthumous reflection
and acceptance of the homosexuality of his late brother. Corda’s success blossomed in the early
nineties with the timeless truthfulness of his works overcoming the ready-mades of the period.
As a sculpture, Corda incorporates colours such as chrome silver, gilding and paint into his bronze
art forms. In search of greater dimensions, his sculptures have moved on to other materials, such
as aluminium and iron. Influenced by his time in the Italian Pietrasanta, he has also introduced
marble and terra cotta into his work. His incredible command over the materials develops them into
profound pieces of art.
Corda’s shifting of materials lead back to his vision to portray persons in the most diverse roles,
environments, and situations. His expressiveness is far too powerful to be portrayed by a single
material. He will redo his bronze bust of an Asian girl in ceramic, because it will illuminate aspects
of her essence that remain hidden in bronze. These figures create a continual dialogue between
revealing space and man, offering a powerful visual exchange.
PLONGEON FEMME & HOMME
Aluminium, edition of 8 • 237 cm, 93.3 in.