 
Mark Ward follows in the great artistic tradition of landscape painting. He does not, however, paint on location. Like generations before him, the scenes are created in miniature in the studio. Yet where Gainsborough would have used found twigs and mosses to compose his backdrops, Ward constructs his from paper, plasticine, string, buttons, pipe-cleaners and other studio materials. Immaculately composed and exquisitely painted in a Hyperrealist manner, the models allow Ward accurately to capture light and shadow whilst adding an exuberantly surreal aspect to these natural vistas.
Ward’s use of strong primary and secondary colors with distinct patterns links back to his time spent living and teaching in Kenya. Bridging his connection to the landscape and his childhood imaginings of ‘Africa’, his paintings connect not with a photo-realist notion of the places, but the impressions they left. A photograph can obscure the experience of a time and location, leaving an impoverished impression. Ward’s paintings offer us a vibrant homecoming. Mark Ward currently lives and works in Suffolk, England.
The Saturated Palette
Reception:
Thursday, May 13, 2010 6-8 PM
Exhibition Dates:
5/11/2010 - 6/1/2010
Invitation to
Mark Ward's exhibition
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White Rhino
Acrylic on Canvas
31" x 31"
White Rhino
Acrylic on Canvas
31" x 31"
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Baobab Lion
Acrylic on Canvas
31" x 31"
Baobab Lion
Acrylic on Canvas
31" x 31"
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Thorn Tree
Acrylic on Canvas
31" x 31"
Thorn Tree
Acrylic on Canvas
31" x 31"
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Impala on Purse Hill
Acrylic on Canvas
36" x 36"
Impala on Purse Hill
Acrylic on Canvas
36" x 36"
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Cheetah in the Grass
Acrylic on Canvas
36" x 48"
Cheetah in the Grass
Acrylic on Canvas
36" x 48"
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Reed Nest I
Acrylic on Canvas
16" x 16"
Reed Nest I
Acrylic on Canvas
16" x 16"
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