Michael Mark

New Works

April 26th – May 13th, 2023

I am continuing to investigate light and space through the materiality of oil paint. My compositional decisions are informed by the results of dragging linseed oil and pigment around canvasses and panels using gloved hands, palette knives and rags. The colour and viscosity, too, often determine where emphasis is located within a piece. Occasionally the paint runs out, gives up, or dries awkwardly, ending a passage of mark-making. There is an ongoing dialogue with every squeeze of the tube allowing the transparency/opacity, glossy/matte, and thick-to-thin characteristics of these substances to contribute results. Every fingermark or scrape helps to build the work, providing a scaffold to hang the next round of decision-making. Sometimes fast, and sometimes slow, the gradual accretion of paint quickly overrides any preconceptions brought on by engaging in preparatory studies