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Featuring deep conversations with thought leaders, innovators, rule-breakers, and the causal geniuses we discover inside Swell.

@DBPardes
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 3:16

MARK ACETELLI: painting by building up and tearing down and trusting primal emotions

article image placeholderMark Acetelli in his studio
When I think about art, I read great reviews of great art, and I'm like, I got to just see the art, and I got to be with the art. And sometimes that experience itself can be truly transformative. Today we're going to meet Mark Asatelli. I met him through his art. I didn't have to hear about it or read about it. I saw it. I saw it like, five years ago in my friend Cameron Mannheim's house

"A visceral dance between the conscious and the unconscious" #swellinterview #artist

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@DBPardes
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 0:11

http://acetellifineart.com/

Here? S a snap of one of Mark's paintings just to give you a visual of what we're talking about here. And also, I'm going to link his website for you
article image placeholderUploaded by @DBPardes
@markacetelli
Mark Acitelli
@markacetelli · 1:02

In the studio

Hi, Deborah. I'm doing great. I'm currently in the studio. It's Tuesday. I've been working in here all day. It's about 04:00 and just creating some new work. I started a new series yesterday after being away for a week and a little squeaky, little rusty, but it was great to get back from the studio and start work again. So I'm currently looking at two large pieces. They're about 8ft each by 5ft
article image placeholderUploaded by @markacetelli
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@DBPardes
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 1:29

Parenting and painting - let’s go There!

Mark. Wow. Those are amazing. And I feel like the one on the right, especially it feels like it's torn in the middle and that chasm in them in that in that center area is just drawn, closed my eye and makes me really feel something. Maybe something's coming out, maybe I'm going in
@markacetelli
Mark Acitelli
@markacetelli · 3:41

Painting and parenting

I love taking an old painting that might not have much relevance to me anymore, or it's one of those ones that just never caught on. But it's still a good painting. I'll hang on to it, and I know one day that painting will become bigger and better and it will grow and it will evolve
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@DBPardes
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 0:41

Letting go…

And you tell stories about it, and it conjures up everything that you are. And then I you have to let it go, hopefully because you're selling it. Can you talk about the release of that experience and how it's changed over the course of your career
@markacetelli
Mark Acitelli
@markacetelli · 2:15

Letting go

The person needs to have a dialogue with the painting conversation, and they need to be seen when they do leave the studio. I'm happy, and I hope they find a good home. And they bring lots of love and joy to the family individual who buys it, and it stays on the wall for a long time. And it takes on its own other life. And some of them are harder to let go than others. And some I don't want to sell because they're too personal
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@DBPardes
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 1:02

A story that needed to be told

It was something that was you conjured up in your head, and it was so incredibly clear you had to paint it as opposed to discovering in the process, you have to paint it. Do you have a picture of a photo of a painting that represents that experience? And can you tell us about doing that kind of work, if at all, and how that is different from just the long discovery process that we were just discussing, looking forward to that if you have it. Thank you
@markacetelli
Mark Acitelli
@markacetelli · 1:55

Painting the vision from within.

I'm not really sure what it is, but I had this feeling that I could paint it and it would register and I wouldn't have to touch it again. It was one of those paintings that just happened. So I'll share that with you. I swell upload it and you can take a look at it and let me know your thoughts. Alright. Let's get a conversation. Take care. Bye
article image placeholderUploaded by @markacetelli
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@DBPardes
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 1:22

The infusion of you!

So let's have more. And thank you so much for this time. You've spoken in this particular interview and looking forward to it, hearing a chorus of voices inquiring because this canvas as many layers and we might dig in, and we might pull out as you say. So it'll be really fun to see what goes on. Okay. Thank you. Bye
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