Mark Ewenson
Mixed Media Artist
Born 1964
Fabric Layerism
Since the late 1990’s I have been developing a method of mixed media painting I call ‘Fabric Layerism’ where the collage elements dominate the composition,structure and surface area of the picture.It involves combining paint with many types of colored,patterned and textured fabrics and sometimes papers,photography and found objects.Sometimes paint is omitted from a picture.It is an extension of some of the collage ideas and techniques from 20th century art,particularly Matisse who with his paper cutout works began using scissors as expressively as drawing and painting.
In the ‘90’s I began by cutting out small fragments of found paper or cloth and adding them to paintings.Over time I came to realize that cutting out larger areas of fabric in fluid shapes which follow the form of the object represented; i.e vase,tree,figure,etc was a great starting point for a painting.This then progressed to focus on the female form as main subject,often building several layers of fabrics to get unique painterly effects,then adding paint later and even more collage. The fabric bases also act as unique ‘canvases’ in their own right,supplying a variety of textures and patterns to then ‘paint’ on.This is a similar process to traditional painting where one can paint several layers until one arrives at the desired image,but with the added unique reflective and textural effects of the fabrics etc.The paints and brushes are largely replaced by scissors and glue.To a degree this was done in Cubism,Pop art,and Absrtact Expressionism;the difference being that Fabric Layerism is more in line with a post modern reentry into figuration.
Though my images are representational,the Fabric Layerism makes for plenty of abstraction ‘within’ the picture,with the layerism being horizontal as well as vertical; there are many interesting tensions where the edges of fabric meet up with areas of paint....
Mark Ewenson 2012 Alongside Fabric layerism,since 2012 my figure life drawing has followed a similar line of development,with works on paper and Fabric layerism pictures made in life drawing I call ‘Fabric drawing’.
In works on paper,I layer many figure poses in a single picture,and use many drawing mediums,often on colored paper,to create plenty of movement and nuance with the figure and face.This I call ‘Drawing layerism’. With Fabric drawing,I take my canvas to life drawing,often to several sessions and gradually build up an image based on several different models,using colored and translucent fabrics,often then incorporating drawing media through and on the fabrics,resulting in a richly textured work with depth.
To offset this,the minimal figure line sketch is also important to me because it balances the fullness of the other work.
Mark Ewenson,2016.
Fabric Layerism
Since the late 1990’s I have been developing a method of mixed media painting I call ‘Fabric Layerism’ where the collage elements dominate the composition,structure and surface area of the picture.It involves combining paint with many types of colored,patterned and textured fabrics and sometimes papers,photography and found objects.Sometimes paint is omitted from a picture.It is an extension of some of the collage ideas and techniques from 20th century art,particularly Matisse who with his paper cutout works began using scissors as expressively as drawing and painting.
In the ‘90’s I began by cutting out small fragments of found paper or cloth and adding them to paintings.Over time I came to realize that cutting out larger areas of fabric in fluid shapes which follow the form of the object represented; i.e vase,tree,figure,etc was a great starting point for a painting.This then progressed to focus on the female form as main subject,often building several layers of fabrics to get unique painterly effects,then adding paint later and even more collage. The fabric bases also act as unique ‘canvases’ in their own right,supplying a variety of textures and patterns to then ‘paint’ on.This is a similar process to traditional painting where one can paint several layers until one arrives at the desired image,but with the added unique reflective and textural effects of the fabrics etc.The paints and brushes are largely replaced by scissors and glue.To a degree this was done in Cubism,Pop art,and Absrtact Expressionism;the difference being that Fabric Layerism is more in line with a post modern reentry into figuration.
Though my images are representational,the Fabric Layerism makes for plenty of abstraction ‘within’ the picture,with the layerism being horizontal as well as vertical; there are many interesting tensions where the edges of fabric meet up with areas of paint....
Mark Ewenson 2012 Alongside Fabric layerism,since 2012 my figure life drawing has followed a similar line of development,with works on paper and Fabric layerism pictures made in life drawing I call ‘Fabric drawing’.
In works on paper,I layer many figure poses in a single picture,and use many drawing mediums,often on colored paper,to create plenty of movement and nuance with the figure and face.This I call ‘Drawing layerism’. With Fabric drawing,I take my canvas to life drawing,often to several sessions and gradually build up an image based on several different models,using colored and translucent fabrics,often then incorporating drawing media through and on the fabrics,resulting in a richly textured work with depth.
To offset this,the minimal figure line sketch is also important to me because it balances the fullness of the other work.
Mark Ewenson,2016.
Curriculum vitae
Education:
1981/2 Art & Design, Huntingdale Technical College.
1983 Studied painting and Fine Art – Prahran Technical College under Robert Jacks, Leslie Dumbrell & Victor Majzner.
Solo Exhibitions
1991 Bakers Café Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne.
1994 Joan Gough Studio Gallery – Contemporary Art Australia, South Yarra, Melbourne.
1996 Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre, Preston, Melbourne.
1997 Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre, Preston, Melbourne.
1998 Hotel Sofitel – Café La, Collins Street, Melbourne.
1999 The Fitzroy Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne.
1999 Rippleside Restaurant Gallery, Inverloch, Victoria.
2000 Silkstone Gallery, Korumburra, Victoria.
2001/2 Café Tsunami, Inverloch, Victoria.
2003 Muse Bar Gallery, E.St Kilda, Melbourne.
2004 Studio Gallery, Elwood, Melbourne.
2006 Gallery 112, St Kilda, Melbourne.
2009 Mark Ewenson Online Gallery – retrospective & current works.
2011 Works spanning 2003 – 2011, Fitzroy Gallery, Melbourne
2015 The Breslin gallery,Melbourne: Exhibition & art/music retrospective;art ebook launch-works spanning 1981-2014
music CD '14 Soundscapes',1986-1999
Group Exhibitions
1991-99 Exhibited in 15 group shows throughout Melbourne and Gippsland, Victoria.
1993 Group Exhibition with artists John Quinn and Neil Douglas, Venus Bay Art Gallery, Sth Gippsland, Victoria.
* First Prize, Best Landscape - Sth Gippsland.
1995 Finalist - Herald-Sun Art Prize, Melbourne. (Judges - Leo Schofield, Juliana Engberg, Sally Smart, Alex Holt & Simon Plant)
1995-96 Gretz Gallery, Albert Park, Melbourne.
1995-97 Contemporary Art Australia Exhibition, Paris, France and - Puge Rostang, South of France.
1998-99 Represented at Dempsters Gallery, Canterbury, Melbourne.
1999 Venus Bay Artists showcase, Gippsland, Victoria.
1998-2001 'Artists on Line' - Jackman Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne.
2000 'New Energies' - Artist Showcase, Gippsland, Victoria.
2001 'New Energies' Gippsland Showcase. Chapel-off-Chapel, Prahran, Victoria.
2000-/01 Dunes Gallery, Inverloch, Victoria.
2005 'Spirit of Place' - Gallery 112, St Kilda, Melbourne.
2005 Affordable Art Fair, Exhibition Building, Melbourne.
2006 Gallery 112, stockroom, St Kilda, Melbourne.
2007/8 Gallery 112 (as above).
2009 /11 Louey and Lane Gallery, Glen huntly, Melbourne
2009 20th anniversary Life Models Society, Dante’s Gallery, Fitzroy, Melb
2009 Lord Ivy Lounge, Flinders Lane, Melbourne
2011 ‘Beauty’ Collingwood Gallery, Melbourne
2011 Carbon Black gallery,Prahran, Melbourne
2012 Princess Hill community centre, Melbourne
2013 ‘Freedom’ Collingwood Gallery,Melbourne
2013 'Eclectica',Breslin gallery,Melbourne.
Bibliography
1993 Sentinel Times - Sth Gippsland, Victoria.
1994 The Star - Sth Gippsland, Victoria.
1994 National Gallery Society Magazine, Victoria.
1994 Art and Australia.
1996 Sentinel Times - Sth Gippsland, Victoria.
1997 Sentinel times - (as above).
1997 Preston Post Times, Melbourne.
1998 'At the Sofitel' - Melbourne.
1999 The Herald-Sun, Melbourne.
2000 The Village Crier, Korumburra, Victoria.
2000 New Energies Artist showcase Catalogue.
2000 The Star, South Gippsland, Victoria.
2001 Sentinel Times, Sth Gippsland, Victoria.
2003 Port Phillip Leader, Melbourne.
2006 Port Phillip Leader, Melbourne.
2011 Port Phillip Leader,Melbourne
2013 Port Phillip Leader, Melbourne
2013-16 'The Art and the curious',online art review and blog with Celeste Hawkins
Media
1994 Interview on 'Art Attack' - Radio 3CR by Bill Hartley.
Collections
Private London,New York, Melbourne, Gippsland (Vic), Adelaide, Sydney,
Fremantle (WA), Brisbane, Gold Caost and Queensland.
Corporate Hotel Sofitel Art Collection, Melbourne.
