ABOUT

Mario John Borgatti

I am an artist, illustrator, graphic designer, photographer and photo editor. I have done advertising and promotional work for the food and beverage, entertainment and leisure and general publishing industries.

 My work includes: magazine cover illustration and page design, new product conceptual design, film and music industry promotional design, brand design, photo editing and original art for commercial applications. 

That said, I also enjoy the preparation and presentation of food. Mom was a master cook and baker and I spent many hours in the kitchen with her watching, learning and doing. From early morning she would be in the kitchen preparing our meals. A good breakfast, then stuffing our school lunch boxes with tasty and nutritious lunches, and of course the evening meals, which were always attended by the entire family. On Sundays we would always eat something light after church, and then dinner would commence around 3:00 PM and continue on into the early evening. It wasn't just about the food, but about family as well. Back then the family unit was the bedrock of the community and society in general. Sunday afternoon's were set aside for our family to not only partake of Mom's bountiful feast, but to converse and share the past week's events as well. Whether in good times, or bad, no matter what was on one's mind, this was the time and the place to let it all out. This was where problems where aired, debated and resolved. Where the family came together to laugh, reminisce and celebrate lives, present - and past. This was family, this was dinner at Mom and Dad's on Sunday afternoon, this was home.

My passion for art and cooking were a natural combination that came together when I was commissioned to do an impromptu shoot for a local bakery, the owner of which was aware of my photographic skills. I had photographed food at our table previously, but food styling was new to me. I researched and studied the work of the dominant figures in the business. My initial reaction: Wow! These people are good. I can almost smell and taste it. And, that's the point. In the world of food styling it's not enough for the picture to be worth a thousand words, you've got to make the viewer smell it, taste it, crave it! Fortunately, my transferable skills made my foray into the field less daunting, and after completion and subsequent approval of my first assignment, I was called back on others. I have found that the task of capturing images of edibles at their peak of perfection although challenging at times, is also very rewarding.

In the opening clip of the film short: "A moment with Mario Borgatti and family" by Anthony Donovan featured in the sidebar, my Dad sums it up this way: "I say today, that when we had less we had more, because everything we did have was important - you know?" This Blog was created for those folks who appreciate the interconnection of food, family and life, and embrace the little things that are really "... important." Hope you enjoy it.

Boun appetito! Bouna vita! - Mario