Tuesday, 14 August 2012


Mark Mainwood

Painting

1984-87


After a very active period making pictures after Art College, I have over the last 20 years taken a conscious break in order to bring up a family and to pursue my work as an Occupational Therapist in a busy neurological unit. However my artistic interests have remained constant with me and this show is an opportunity to revisit and develop some of the themes. I continue to live and work in East London. 
 
My work since Art College has predominantly used organic sources (insects, skin, microbiological structures, and more recently cacti) as the thematic starting point in what are predominantly abstract paintings. These forms are often transposed into more geometric structures which both encompass and occupy them. 
 
In my current work the ‘Cactus Dream’ series I have been using acrylic and water based oil paints on canvas. The work involves a peripheral colour ground which engulfs and contains an abstract central image (the dream). The works have evolved as a series from an original ochre/gold base colour; like ‘dreams’ the titles only bare a subliminal link, if any with the appearance of the final composition. I use the titles as a way of generating additional interest and emotion, but prefer to leave any interpretation to the viewer. My primary aim is to produce images which are interesting in terms of their abstract qualities but which also have visual presence, where there is both harmony and disquiet.

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