Hollywood Book Reviews Praises ‘100 Paintings’ by Rob Mango as 'Colorful, Wild, and Incredibly Powerful'

The book offers an intimate portrait of an artist’s life in New York City—now spotlighted for its honesty, imagination, and emotional depth. YORBA LINDA, CA, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “100 Paintings: An Artist’s Life in New York City” by Rob Mango continues to capture attention—not just for its striking visual content, but also for the deeply personal story it tells. In a recent review by Lily Amanda for Hollywood Book Reviews, the book was described as “colorful, wild, and incredibly powerful,” offering readers an “honest and intimate” look at Mango’s journey as both artist and individual.

Part memoir and part visual retrospective, “100 Paintings” blends more than 200 full-color artworks with personal reflections spanning decades. Mango, who arrived in Manhattan in 1977 after a standout career in track and field, built a life in Tribeca that was shaped by both creative breakthroughs and personal setbacks. As Amanda notes, the book is “a beautiful story which moves from one important life event to the next, showing how art and life connect.”

In the review, Amanda highlights Mango’s early years in Chicago, where his love for art first took root, alongside his pursuit of athletics—a path that nearly led to the Olympics. “Even with all that success,” Amanda writes, “Rob’s real passion was painting.” That passion carried him to New York City, where he immersed himself in its dynamic art scene and, in 1984, co-founded the Neo Persona Gallery to support emerging local artists.

But the book doesn’t shy away from more difficult moments. Amanda points out one pivotal period in which Mango, having been dropped by his gallery, fell into a deep depression and began destroying his own work. Yet instead of giving up, he transformed that low point into artistic reinvention—experimenting with sculpted foam and creating expressive three-dimensional paintings. His “totally original and full of emotion” works became a turning point, reigniting his creative drive.

“A love letter to a city and a meditation on creativity,” Amanda writes, the book is as much about resilience as it is about art. With portraits, surreal landscapes, and bold, often fantastical imagery, Mango’s pieces paint “people, dancers, dream scenes, and even feelings like sadness and joy.” Through the visual narrative, readers are offered not just a survey of an artist’s evolution, but also a lens into the emotional spectrum that informs the creative process.

Lily Amanda recommends the book for readers of all ages—especially teens and anyone interested in “real and deep” stories about pursuing passion. She writes, “One big takeaway is that being creative isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it,” adding that Mango “ably demonstrates that being an artist is about having courage, taking chances, and discovering your voice.”

Rob Mango holds a BFA and MFA in sculpture, with a career that has spanned the U.S. and Europe. His work has been exhibited in galleries from New York to Prague and featured in Art in America and Arts magazine. Today, he lives in Tribeca with his wife Helen, where he continues to create and reflect on the ever-evolving dialogue between city and self.

“100 Paintings: An Artist’s Life in New York City” is available now on Amazon and other book distributors globally.

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