His three-dimensional paintings are a unique invention held in private and corporate collections throughout the world.

Currently a museum show entitled “Urban Rhapsody”, paintings of the 1990’s is touring the US, organized by Katharine Carter and Assoc.. 

Rob’s artworks have been reviewed in the Art in America, Art Forum, ARTS magazines, the Huffington Post, and the New York Times.

Rob’s artistic subject matter includes allegorical paintings of cities, male and female figures, portraits and three-dimensional paintings.

In 2015, a monograph book entitled: “100 Paintings; an Artist Life in New York City” was published by No Room for Doubt Inc.. Won the Bronze Medal for autobiography, awarded by Independent Publisher Inc. 

In 2018, a documentary film titled: “Amiss in the Abyss. MANGO” (Guillaume LeBlanc director) featured Rob Mango’s creative process.

Also included in the 42-minute film are live exhibition footage and interviews with collectors, critics and the artist. The movie won the silver medal at the Paris Film Lift-Off Festival 2018.

Rob is a former and World Record holder 1972, National Champion 1973 in track and field. He was awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor for athletics and academics in 1973. 

Artist Statement

With regard to my three-dimensional paintings; I have evolved this technique over 15-year period, a natural evolution from paintings on canvas of men and women in the 1990’s,assemblage and kinetic works in the 1980’s. I think of them in two categories; figurative and narrative

All of these works have a singular approach in common: Imagine-sketch-paint-sculpt.

First I’ll make numerous sketches on paper while imagining, capturing and refining a pose and setting that arises. When I see the picture in my minds eye, I proceed to an oil sketch on canvas, introducing a textured abstract color field or realistic background and then the sketched figure.

Soon after this, I will deconstruct (cut-up) the figure and back ground into dozens of pieces with a razor blade. Soon after I shape an underbody for background pieces out of hardened foam and adhere the canvas pieces.

I then sculpt a free form figure in relief based on the drawing and oil sketch. Finally I reassemble the background and figure on a new lightweight wood panel. I often leave background spaces open where the wall behind the painting can be seen. I like the relationship between oil paint and polished metal: hair, stools and frame. 

Influences

Although my artistic explorations took me far from my origins, I never abandoned my classical roots, in painting, drawing and sculpture received at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1960’s. Rather, I integrated an onward elliptical artistic journey with those roots. My work is often referred to as romantic, surrealistic and metaphorical. It pleases me that they evoke a wide range of attempts to contextualize them stylistically.

My influences are authors of fiction & philosophy, filmmakers and painters. There are too many to fairly enumerate, so I will limit them to four;

Federico Fellini, Marcel Duchamp, Robert Rauschenberg and Charles Baudelaire.