Mark Michael
I am a British artist for whom the creative process is a therapeutic act of exploring and growing the self by confronting head-on universal fears, taboo desires and hidden truths that lie behind our facades.
My canvasses are psychological portraits that give form to this invisible emotional world in which both a sense of time and place are often deliberately absent. In their stead, I employ blocks of colour and abstract hinterlands on which the story reveals itself through masked figures, symbols, ciphers, totems and handwritten messages, each open to interpretation so the viewer can connect with their own personal inner story. To facilitate this shared journey inwards I employ elements of dark humour to add a modicum of levity to my subject matter. My compositions are heavily influenced by my love of writing. I am fascinated by how combining figurative painting and the written word can create engaging narratives between the viewer and the self in the composition.
The major themes in my current collection of work are the transformation and re-creation of the self, the search for authenticity, isolation and the effect of the passing of time on our relationship with others. My latest body of work displays a strong figurative and surrealist element within their composition, exploring a freer use of colour, expressive brushstroke and texture. At the heart of my practice is the conviction that the more authentic and truthful I am with my work, the more the viewer will connect with it. Vulnerability, I feel, is far more interesting and endearing than well-tailored bravado.
