Euphoria (Memento Mori) (2024) Collages by Romeo Madonna

Drawing inspiration from 16th-century baroque Vanitates iconography, “Euphoria (Memento Mori)” navigates the timeless theme of the transience of life within a contemporary queer context.
The genesis of this work, dating back to 2016, reflects the artist's unwavering commitment to using found materials—an eco-conscious choice and a deliberate artistic process. The first rule of his manifesto, prohibiting the printing or purchase of magazines and books, becomes a defining aspect of the creative process, akin to a plant taking its time to blossom under the right conditions. Part of the ongoing series "Fiori Feroci," the collage features characteristic elements of the Vanitas genre, including flowers and skulls. These symbols engage in a captivating dialogue with homoerotic, explicit material as the artist seamlessly weaves queer narratives into traditional symbolism. The recurrence of the theme throughout the artist's practice reflects an obsession with the exquisite example of life and death epitomized by flowers.
The deliberate but subtle juxtaposition of pornographic images and fashion magazine cuttings sets the stage for a nuanced examination of sexuality, identity, and societal expectations.
Men engaged in sexual activities likely come from explicit and adult content, often created for arousal and consumption. These images typically capture intimate moments and emphasize explicit sexual content. Pornographic imagery is associated with private, intimate spaces and is designed for explicit sexual gratification. Images from advertising and fashion editorials are often curated for commercial purposes, promoting products, lifestyles, or fashion trends. The men in these images may be posed in aesthetically pleasing and stylized ways, emphasizing beauty, allure, and sometimes unattainable ideals of attractiveness. The juxtaposition of this content challenges expectations surrounding beauty and desirability and questions the commodification and objectification of the male form, inviting viewers to critically examine societal narratives surrounding sexuality and aesthetics.

Related themes

FlowersGayEroticQueerSkull