About

This free new show by artist Mark Elliott Smith will include acrylic paintings on canvas and works on paper, exploring the emotional affect of colour and form through his spirited and distinctive approach to image making. Mark's large abstract paintings have been described as impossible to ignore, drawing you into another world of experience.

Inspired by the energy and playful colour in heraldic medieval art, and in the stained glass windows that survived the Reformation, Smith has composed an alternative visual narrative from scattered pieces of information, imparting an energizing, positive sense of possibility. Different elements and intertwining layers of tone and structure are configured into one conscious orchestration that resonates with the dancing fluidity and cacophony of colour. Just as diamonds need to be cut perfectly at each unique angle to catch the light correctly and mirror the refracting colours, so too, the execution of these dynamic and vivacious paintings requires precise attention to detail and process.

Mark collages initial marks based on drawings he has made in response to his source material, before meticulously hand-painting his images onto thoroughly prepared canvas. He says, "I'm compelled by the creative process of construction and deconstruction, the coexisting forces of chaos and order, and the balance of shape, form and colour in a fleeting moment of union." Smith aims to encourage a re-awakened appreciation of the transformative processes of regeneration.

Mark has exhibited in London and the South West since his first solo show at BRLSI in Bath in 2012, and has paintings in several collections.