Mark Mooney is an artist, whose practice revolves around the reinterpretation of ancient poems, historical fact, myth and legend, from specific sites and communities.
His artworks are informed by the detailed research of subject, his aim, to retain the spirit and vigor of the original motif.
He said ‘The research helps to create solid abstract conclusions that retains part of the subjects original essence’.
Old castles, religious and industrial sites absorbed most of my concentration in the early years as I researched my first prints and paintings. The information I collected from this research was enough to inform any stereotypical painting or an abstract subject, though it had to be ‘de-cluttered’ before it was useful. This meant stripping the research to a minimum, without losing the essence or outline of the original motif.
My first attempts to create a painting from this kind of research were crude and most didn’t make it, as my foot or skip can testify. ‘Though’ the artwork did start to improve, as my experiments became techniques, giving me the process I now call a multi-layered event. The first materials I used to create this cocktail were a mix of cyanotype-print, screen-print and acrylic on canvas.
The first painting to be completed by this method was North, followed by Tynedock and Downpour. Though these paintings were successful in their own right, there still seemed to miss ‘Ce petit quelque chose’ (that little something). So to strengthen the artwork and give it that ‘poetic stance’ I introduce found objects into the artwork, collected from the site or locations, identified as useful. These objects then helped to reassemble the essence of the original site/location while still reducing its overall characteristics. Reverberating the spirit if you like, but not its image.
My pallet has progressed over time to include marble dust, paint pigment, gold leaf, lead, bitumen, string, and found organic material from each location I’ve researched. All the artwork’s unless specified are on canvas.
