Description

Balboa – Rocky – Premium Canvas by Mark Davies

‘BALBOA’ was my first piece where I work with smoke detail to create a silhouetted character and I am so pleased by the results. Rather than the static and stark silhouettes that are typical I have strived to inject movement and depth into mine through using the smoke textures. I love how it flows, expanding and contracting to take the shape of the body.

The image of Rocky is so incredibly iconic and exists in so many variants so I was keen on going at this in a different way. Through using the smoke-like textures to create the body it gives off this wonderful ghost-like quality that is perfect for my ‘Lost In Hollywood’ series where we consider the characters from the film that are left behind once the filming stops and the lights go out.

The USA flag has been depicted within the body through the red white and blue and the stars whilst hints of the cityscape form the background. I wanted to do something that was really gritty where the smoke represents the downtown Philadelphia element whilst in contrast the stars and lighting signify the bright lights of the arena and the fame that Rocky found.

Mixed Media British Artist Mark Davies was born in Bedfordshire in 1978 and studied Fine Art within the region with his early works being inspired by the compositional qualities of Piero Della Francesca and Giuseppe Arcimboldo whilst finding inspiration in the surrealism of Salvador Dali. Now living in St Neots Mark works full-time as a professional artist from his beautiful converted brick barn studio within the Cambridgeshire countryside.

Mark’s now signature ‘Storyteller’ collection showcases his ability to conceive and implement his own narrative to cherished fairytales and classic fictional stories to stunning effect. Inspired by the eloquence of Hans Christian Andersen and ingenuity of the Grimm Brothers, a whole host of much-loved stories have been turned on their head with each chapter being re-written as Mark embraces the often much more sinister plot and motives of the original authors that most don’t know exists as these classics are re-told to generation after generation.

As well as creating mesmerizing imagery full of detail there has always been a subtle and genuine moral quality to the work created to make you think a little deeper. Mark’s original works have created such a wonderful interaction between artist and audience as each searches out the detail and pieces together the plot with the hope that they can get an insight into Mark’s thinking whilst being encouraged to offer their own interpretation of what they see or often don’t see within the image. This genuine engagement has played a significant part in Mark’s gallery shows and appearances being so successful and truly special events.

As the body of work has grown so has Mark’s reputation for creating art with genuine meaning, art that stands on it’s own and that is driven by a fascinating multi-layered narrative like no other. His skill of storytelling has expanded across other areas including stage and screen as he delivers his signature style across a broad range of subjects and genres that continue to pull on the heart strings and embrace nostalgia and the memories that we all hold so fondly. In addition to building a solid gallery presence, Mark’s success has seen his work proudly displayed and selling within iconic venues that include the London Playhouse and Fortune Theatre within the iconic West End along with the highly respected Mall Galleries in London.