Fil Mottola
Fil Mottola is an abstract painter. His work emerges from sustained, intuitive engagement with form, movement, and internal rhythm.
His paintings are developed through prolonged physical interaction with the surface. Gesture, color, and spatial tension resolve organically. Each work results from presence, repetition, and restraint.
Mottola approaches abstraction as a discipline. The paintings are guided by instinct informed through experience. Decisions are made in response to the work itself. The process prioritizes honesty of movement and balance.
These works exist as records of sustained attention and internal coherence. Viewers have remarked on their proximity to the dominant figures of twentieth-century abstraction—Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, and Pablo Picasso. The comparisons arise through an intuitive command of gesture and structure.
Works
Fil Mottola Abstracts 24 X 24 On Newspaper Signed
Fil Mottola Abstracts 24 X 24 On Newspaper Signed Acrylic on Newspaper...
Practice
Painter working in abstraction. Trained at Otis Art Institute. Background animator, Walt Disney Studios, 1940s–1950s. Gallery owner, Laguna Beach, California.
Fil Mottola
Artifact No. 9 – Serpent Hoodie
Archive
Fil Mottola
The Art & Life Of Fil Mottola Book by David O' Hoy
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Archive
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Otis Art Institute
Three-year scholarship. Foundational training in color theory and movement.
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Walt Disney Studios
Background animator, 1940s–1950s. Contributed to animated features including Sleeping Beauty and The Sword in the Stone.
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Laguna Beach Gallery
Gallery owner with wife Lottie. Pacific Coast Highway location. Continued painting practice and exhibition of abstract works.
Archive
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Laguna gallery owners share art, life
taryn aimerLottie Page, owner of Mottola Gallery in Laguna Beach, stands behind a painting by her husband, Fil. The couple has spent their lives making a living and expressing themselves through...
Laguna gallery owners share art, life
taryn aimerLottie Page, owner of Mottola Gallery in Laguna Beach, stands behind a painting by her husband, Fil. The couple has spent their lives making a living and expressing themselves through...
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How 'The Sword in the Stone' Pulled Walt Disney...
taryn aimerYou would think Disney might have cornered the market on King Arthur films. The studio’s takes on Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, and Mary Poppins are so ubiquitous they’ve overtaken the British...
How 'The Sword in the Stone' Pulled Walt Disney...
taryn aimerYou would think Disney might have cornered the market on King Arthur films. The studio’s takes on Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, and Mary Poppins are so ubiquitous they’ve overtaken the British...
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About Fil Mottola
taryn aimerFil Mottola was a World War II veteran and former Walt Disney Studios artist whose abstract paintings are under institutional review by leading galleries and auction houses. Explore a privately...
About Fil Mottola
taryn aimerFil Mottola was a World War II veteran and former Walt Disney Studios artist whose abstract paintings are under institutional review by leading galleries and auction houses. Explore a privately...
Frequently Asked Questions
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Each wearable artifact is a direct translation of an original painting from the archive. The source work, date of creation, and translation process are documented with every piece.
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Original paintings are digitally captured and carefully adapted to garment surfaces, preserving the integrity of the composition while accounting for the three-dimensional form of the body.
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Artifacts are produced in strictly limited editions. Edition size varies by work and is clearly stated on each artifact page. Once an edition is complete, no additional pieces are produced.
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All artifacts are produced using archival-quality printing methods on premium natural fiber textiles. Specific material composition is listed on each artifact page.
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To preserve the integrity of the print, we recommend cold water washing, inside out, with like colors. Hang or lay flat to dry. Avoid harsh detergents and bleach.