Marc O'Connor
I am a painter. I work in a wide variety of materials. I select simple shapes and apply a variety of techniques. This allows me to use chance to create a surprising effect. This in turn can lead to further experimentation. This process of surprise and excitement is my main motivation in making the work.
I work with inks, wax, acrylic, graphite, charcoal. Images often incorporate natural elements such as leaves or pressed flowers and/or elements of collage. The avoidance of illustration and the experiments with chance are suggestive and partly inspired by tribal and Neolithic art. I am also inspired by work such as Ana Mendietta’s Earth/Body works, and her Silueta Series. I’m also influenced by Francis Bacon,both his work and his statements about painting.
This practice has lead to a divergence between images that are better suited to photographic reproduction and print, and images that stand alone as original single artworks.