I met Mario in the early 1990s and quickly bonded with him as if he were my long-lost brother. We both shared the same restless discomfort as aliens trapped in human society. The years we spent together felt like a Film Noir filled with adventure, chaos and comedy. The effect of those strange times, and our shared passion for surreal art still inspires the murals and oil paintings I create today, 30 years later.
I recall being jolted from sleep one night at 2 am. On the other end of the line Mario asked, “Karl, are you awake?” in his thickly accented English. Before I could reply, he cried out, “There’s a space man in my bedroom! A real one! I’m scared!”
This admission from anyone else would have seemed strange, but knowing Mario, I asked, “Did you take acid tonight? Remember, when you’re tripping, the things you see aren’t real, and things that aren’t real can’t hurt you.”
“No, no! I’m not tripping!” he shouted. “It’s real, it’s a real spaceman! I swear, it’s real!”
“What’s it doing?” I asked.
“Nothing. I mean, it emerged from some kind of space cloud. Now he’s just staring at me. I’m scared Karl…” Then the line went dead.
After all my attempts to call him back met busy tones, I quickly dressed and sprinted the five blocks between my apartment and his Portland house on Glisan Street.
Before rounding the last corner, the reflection of flashing red lights in a thrift store window caught my eye. Past a line of fire trucks, near a network of gushing fire hoses, I found Mario out on the sidewalk. Draped in a blanket, looking disheveled and chain smoking, he mumbled, “I guess my house is on fire.”
“Where’s the spaceman?” I asked.
“There, right there,” he replied, pointing at a helmet-headed fireman in a fire suit on the wet stairs below his smoldering home.
“He was a spaceman when I woke up, I swear he was,” Mario whispered.
A side note: As I sat in front of my laptop at 1am on Mario’s birthday a day ago, the atmosphere outside was entirely calm. Then, a few minutes after I started writing this story, a burst of light flashed above the distant Catalina Mountains. As I continued typing, the sky over Tucson erupted with brilliant lightning and booming thunder, followed by a monsoon-like rain. Once I wrote the last words about Mario and the spaceman, the storm passed and all was calm again.
I have so many fond memories it’s hard to pick one. He was and is such a force of nature and an artistic inspiration to me. So committed to all things creative with unbridled passion and decadence. I could count on him to be an honest soundboard of aesthetic opinion.
When Tina and Mario were leaving Portland, they invited me to a farewell dinner at our beloved L’Auberge.
Mario presented me with an unusual canvas featuring one of his Cupid photos painted in thick encaustic. This mixed media technique was a new experiment and the beeswax was still tacky. I was admiring its gothic beauty when he suddenly snatched it away, deeming it unworthy and ran off to the men’s room with it!
Tina and I sipped our drinks and waited out the artist’s storm.
Mario returned wielding a giant, filthy, ‘70s, framed French poster of a drunk man wine tasting. This was now my gift.
He chased me around the restaurant blocking my access to retrieve Cupid but his mind was made up, it belonged in the toilet!
I went back to L’Auberge later in hopes to save my little Cupid but it was gone.
I feel so fortunate to have spent time with you both in Split and summer in Makarska. To see you living the beautiful life and Mario’s passions just as strong for art, football, Vespas, freediving and family.
Tina, your years of devotion and commitment to see so many of those projects through would never have been possible without you. You are so loved.
I am George’s brother Patrick. I am so sorry for your loss. What a wonderful man with such a gift. George often spoke of Mario and his eyes would get bright.
I would be happy to share a few of Mario work with George as the model. If you contact me at my email I will forward them to you. Thank everyone for the amazing article and tribute! Lou
Hey Lou, Tina is having some temporary eye issues that make it hard to read or write -- but she will write in a few days when they are resolved. However, she suggested that perhaps you'd like to post the pics here in the comments, and also feel free to tell stories about George and Mario. Thanks again. -- Melissa
I am so sorry to hear of Mario's passing. I did not know Mario but I am George Calvo's sister, Mary Lou and George often spoke of his adventures with Mario in Portland and then NYC. George was convinced to dress as a spaceman coming out of a man hole cover in NYC, a skin-diver in a launderette and more. He thrived on Mario's energy and loved Tina and Lola. He often called me while babysitting Lola to tell me of Mario's newest ideas and success. One of George's dreams was to go visit Mario in Croatia but sadly George did not survive to make that trip. After George passed Mario contacted me on FB to let me know that George was a good friend and to offer condolences. I have followed Mario's work online but did not understand the scope of his career and the complex and delightfully range of joy his life emitted to those who were blessed to share his reach. I know he loved his wife and children. I know he had a good heart. Bravo to a life well lived Mario, thank you.
Awww, what a sweet note, Mary Lou! Thank you. We added that George was the astronaut model, but I want to see the diver in the laundromat photos. What a wild time those guys shared! -- Melissa
Mario & The Spaceman
By Karl Abramovic
I met Mario in the early 1990s and quickly bonded with him as if he were my long-lost brother. We both shared the same restless discomfort as aliens trapped in human society. The years we spent together felt like a Film Noir filled with adventure, chaos and comedy. The effect of those strange times, and our shared passion for surreal art still inspires the murals and oil paintings I create today, 30 years later.
I recall being jolted from sleep one night at 2 am. On the other end of the line Mario asked, “Karl, are you awake?” in his thickly accented English. Before I could reply, he cried out, “There’s a space man in my bedroom! A real one! I’m scared!”
This admission from anyone else would have seemed strange, but knowing Mario, I asked, “Did you take acid tonight? Remember, when you’re tripping, the things you see aren’t real, and things that aren’t real can’t hurt you.”
“No, no! I’m not tripping!” he shouted. “It’s real, it’s a real spaceman! I swear, it’s real!”
“What’s it doing?” I asked.
“Nothing. I mean, it emerged from some kind of space cloud. Now he’s just staring at me. I’m scared Karl…” Then the line went dead.
After all my attempts to call him back met busy tones, I quickly dressed and sprinted the five blocks between my apartment and his Portland house on Glisan Street.
Before rounding the last corner, the reflection of flashing red lights in a thrift store window caught my eye. Past a line of fire trucks, near a network of gushing fire hoses, I found Mario out on the sidewalk. Draped in a blanket, looking disheveled and chain smoking, he mumbled, “I guess my house is on fire.”
“Where’s the spaceman?” I asked.
“There, right there,” he replied, pointing at a helmet-headed fireman in a fire suit on the wet stairs below his smoldering home.
“He was a spaceman when I woke up, I swear he was,” Mario whispered.
A side note: As I sat in front of my laptop at 1am on Mario’s birthday a day ago, the atmosphere outside was entirely calm. Then, a few minutes after I started writing this story, a burst of light flashed above the distant Catalina Mountains. As I continued typing, the sky over Tucson erupted with brilliant lightning and booming thunder, followed by a monsoon-like rain. Once I wrote the last words about Mario and the spaceman, the storm passed and all was calm again.
This is just classic Mario. Thanks for sharing Karl! Melissa
Thank you Karl. Im around if u want to talk. Tina
Good to hear from you. I will be in touch.
💗😢
I’m hearing of this so late! 💔
I have so many fond memories it’s hard to pick one. He was and is such a force of nature and an artistic inspiration to me. So committed to all things creative with unbridled passion and decadence. I could count on him to be an honest soundboard of aesthetic opinion.
When Tina and Mario were leaving Portland, they invited me to a farewell dinner at our beloved L’Auberge.
Mario presented me with an unusual canvas featuring one of his Cupid photos painted in thick encaustic. This mixed media technique was a new experiment and the beeswax was still tacky. I was admiring its gothic beauty when he suddenly snatched it away, deeming it unworthy and ran off to the men’s room with it!
Tina and I sipped our drinks and waited out the artist’s storm.
Mario returned wielding a giant, filthy, ‘70s, framed French poster of a drunk man wine tasting. This was now my gift.
He chased me around the restaurant blocking my access to retrieve Cupid but his mind was made up, it belonged in the toilet!
I went back to L’Auberge later in hopes to save my little Cupid but it was gone.
I feel so fortunate to have spent time with you both in Split and summer in Makarska. To see you living the beautiful life and Mario’s passions just as strong for art, football, Vespas, freediving and family.
Tina, your years of devotion and commitment to see so many of those projects through would never have been possible without you. You are so loved.
Mario, I see your Cupid angel watching over us.
I am George’s brother Patrick. I am so sorry for your loss. What a wonderful man with such a gift. George often spoke of Mario and his eyes would get bright.
I would be happy to share a few of Mario work with George as the model. If you contact me at my email I will forward them to you. Thank everyone for the amazing article and tribute! Lou
Hey Lou, Tina is having some temporary eye issues that make it hard to read or write -- but she will write in a few days when they are resolved. However, she suggested that perhaps you'd like to post the pics here in the comments, and also feel free to tell stories about George and Mario. Thanks again. -- Melissa
/Users/loucalvo/Desktop/IMG_0391.jpeg/Users/loucalvo/Desktop/IMG_2858.jpeg
Having issues loading these picture on this format. Sorry, I have tried paste and copy as well as drag and drop. No luck so far.
Hmmm. Well, if you send to me via email -- melissarossi199@yahoo.com -- I'll try to post...
I guess the problem is that you can't post photos in comments. We're starting some other pages, so will post there. Thanks, Lou!
I am so sorry to hear of Mario's passing. I did not know Mario but I am George Calvo's sister, Mary Lou and George often spoke of his adventures with Mario in Portland and then NYC. George was convinced to dress as a spaceman coming out of a man hole cover in NYC, a skin-diver in a launderette and more. He thrived on Mario's energy and loved Tina and Lola. He often called me while babysitting Lola to tell me of Mario's newest ideas and success. One of George's dreams was to go visit Mario in Croatia but sadly George did not survive to make that trip. After George passed Mario contacted me on FB to let me know that George was a good friend and to offer condolences. I have followed Mario's work online but did not understand the scope of his career and the complex and delightfully range of joy his life emitted to those who were blessed to share his reach. I know he loved his wife and children. I know he had a good heart. Bravo to a life well lived Mario, thank you.
Awww, what a sweet note, Mary Lou! Thank you. We added that George was the astronaut model, but I want to see the diver in the laundromat photos. What a wild time those guys shared! -- Melissa
Such a lovely tribute! He truly was a force of nature.
He still is. Thank you, Tina