Artist Collaboration with Nick Cerrato Explores Unselfconscious Mark Making

In a recent essay on the Maniscalco Gallery website, artist and gallery principal discuss the concept of the 'unselfconscious mark'—a mark made without ego or intention—as a goal for many artists, from abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock to realists. The essay highlights a current collaboration between the author and artist Nick Cerrato, who has Cerebral Palsy, which makes controlled mark-making impossible. Cerrato's condition results in purely spontaneous, convulsive marks, which the author sees as the embodiment of the unselfconscious mark. The collaboration involves alternating direction of paintings, combining Cerrato's marks with the author's more controlled additions to create narrative-driven works. The author emphasizes that Cerrato's lack of control is an asset, not a hindrance, and that their symbiotic process transcends what either could achieve alone. The essay references Pollock's quote 'I am nature,' Andy Warhol's removal of self, and Picasso's quote about painting like a child, as precedents for this artistic pursuit. The collaboration is ongoing, with recent works including 'The Great Dilemma' and 'Jesus Weeps.'