Mario later traveled to New York City, where he met the renowned sculptor, Jacques Lipchitz, who became his mentor. Lipchitz believed Mario to be an artistic genius, and compared him to the expressionist painter Chaim Soutine. Through Lipchitz, Mario met his most significant collectors, Lester Avnet and William Mazer. Although these famous collectors subsidized grants for Mario to attend the New York Art Studio, he branched out from its structure and continued to be self-taught, painting and sketching from the Old Masters and the European schools, refining his own unique style of artwork.

after Lipchitz Number 1

From his artist’s studio in New York’s Tribeca area, Mario became an activist in fighting for the legal rights of artists to both work and live in their loft spaces. He was involved in court battles for many years, but victoriously was responsible for case law and legislation that protected thousands of artists from eviction. This protracted struggle for the artists’ homes resulted in Mario’s show, one of the largest of his exhibitions held in Soho, entitled “Pictures of an Eviction”.

Currently residing in California, Mario brings to his work today his unique bursts of color, emotion and intensity. His artwork engages the viewer into an immediate emotional response and experience. His most recent oil paintings and sculptures combine with innovation, discipline and freedom the elements found in Expressionism, Surrealism and Cubism. In addition, Mario has completed many commissioned paintings for collectors and celebrities.

Mario is presently the innovator of a new sculpture artform, called “Harley-ism”. His unique metal sculptures are created from discarded & donated Harley Davidson motorcycle parts, such as fenders, tanks, chrome pipes and handle bars.  Each sculpture, rather than being welded, is bolted together by the artist to create perfect balance of weight and form. Finishing touches of colors – red, yellow, orange – Porsche paints, are then applied. The final art is abstract versions of musicians, dancers, horses, & other persona, with satirical titles such as “Biker Blues”, “Biker-Saurus”, and “Born to be Wild”. He is currently working on a new series of horse sculptures called “Stampede to Sturgis”.

In Spring, 2009, Mario was awarded Best of Show out of 300 entries for his sculpture entitled “The New Ride” at the Palm Springs Art Museum. In Nov. 2009, Mario was the artist chosen for an amazing installation of his paintings & sculptures for the Dennis Lambert concert at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, CA. The fund-raiser starred Lambert, Natalie Cole, The Commodores, Connie Stevens, The Players and many other singers.

"The same freedom I feel when riding my bike on the open road is what I want to convey in my sculptures - I want to represent freedom of form and movement." -Mario Pikus

Selected Exhibitions
2011 Palm Springs Public Art, Pop Up Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2010 David Blank Gallery, One Man Show, Palm Desert, CA
2010 Cabot Museum, Earth Day, Desert Hot Springs, CA
2009 Selected Artist – Lambert Concert,
Agua Caliente Casino, Rancho Mirage, CA
2009 ACE2009, Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
"The New Ride" Winner Best of Show
2007 Project "Translate", Rancho Mirage, CA
2006 Desert in Manhattan, Tribeca, New York City
2004 Make It a Better World, Palm Springs, CA
2004 Art in the Park, Palm Springs, CA
2001 Art in the Cave, Malibu, CA
1997 The Art Bank Gallery, Los Angeles
1996 Bova Gallery, Los Angeles
1995 Trident Entertainment, Los Angeles
1994 Sherry Franklin Gallery, Santa Monica
1993 Trident Entertainment, Los Angeles
1990 Art in the Villa, Los Feliz
1986 The Second Generation, Los Angeles
1985 The Museum of Hispanic Art, Los Angeles
1985 Simon Wiesenthal Museum, Los Angeles
1984-85 Office of Hon. Gov. Mario Cuomo, Los Angeles
1983 Lever House, National Council on the Art, Los Angeles
1982 The Artist's Dilemma, New York City
1981 The Cayman Gallery, Soho, New York City

Selected Private Collections
John & Victoria Hill, Rancho Mirage/ Fairbanks, Alaska
Dan & Marguerita Gilbertson, Rancho Mirage/ Fairbanks, Alaska
Jerry & Dawn Sadler, Rancho Mirage, CA/Fairbanks, Alaska
Paula Paris, Indian Wells
Ray Roberson-Jennings, Beverly Hills
Lester Avnet, New York City
William Mazer, New York City
Caren Barness, New York City
Dr. Michael Aronoff, New York City
Dr. & Mrs. Samuel Chitayat, New York City
Charles Delaney, New York City
Joseph Morrissey, St. Louis
Al Hirt, New Orleans
Zide Hirt, New Orleans
Oliver Shokouh, Los Angeles
Janna Smith & Craig Goesslin, Los Angeles
Ray Jennings-Roberson, Dallas & Beverly Hills
John DeVito, Malibu, CA
Wendy Heritage, Beverly Hills
Pat Bianchi, Palm Springs, CA
George & Priscilla Guttenberg, Palm Springs, CA
Patrick & Judith Peduto, La Quinta, CA

 

Video/Film Placement
2011 Documentary: "Mario Pikus Artworks," Luminessence Photo, La Quinta
2010 "Popsicle--The Film," Leslie Jean Porter, Palm Springs
2010 Documentary: "David Blank Gallery," Palm Desert
2010 "Lenny Meyer," Shannon, DiMora Productions, Palm Springs
2009 Documentary; DiMora Productions, Palm Springs
2009 Documentary; Palm Springs Studio, La Quinta
1997 "Spawn," New Line Cinema, Hollywood/LA

The Pikus collections can be viewed
on his website: MarioPikus.com
The Artist resides in Rancho Mirage, CA
and can be contacted at (760) 674-8728
or via email: Pikuspeople2@aol.com