THE MORTAZZA CODE

In all of Elio Varuna's paintings one can find the traces of his meticulous research about various forms of expression and symbols of ancient Oriental cultures, European pagan mythology and modern Occidental civilizations. Several trips to New York City and a few longer stays in Berlin, where the latest hypes of architecture, art and design are launched, made him aware of the intricacies of a globalized life and the impact on his own weltanschauung. Usually, encountering his paintings people will gain the impression of rather joyful and positive moments being depicted therein. Though, Varuna's work leads the observer to a deeper layer of perception. His apocalyptic pop myth is set in shadowy imaginative landscapes. His particular manner of combining subjects, settings and chromatic shadings reminds us of techniques applied by Surrealists like Max Ernst or Dalì. Varuna’s sceneries strive to reflect unconscious dreamlands. Varuna's visionary worlds often present quite a few contrasting elements of ancient and pop culture that show a leitmotiv of his work: the unavoidable dichotomy of the universe which can conciliate only through the alchemic dissolution ("solve et coagula").