Marcus Cope

https://www.marcuscope.co.uk

Marcus Cope's paintings have been described as "beginning with memories preserved and detached through stories and re-worked to remove sources of the original location." - Andrew Renton, 2020.

I was captivated by Cope's piece "Control" when I stepped foot in the gallery due to the deeply contrasting colours, large scale and style he used to create bonfire smoke. The image I'm describing depicted a large fire with swooping surrounding trees illuminated by the flames. The painting's background showed a dusky sky and bright blue sea which created a calm atmosphere, however these are destructed by the ash and debris of the "out of control" fire central to the piece. What I found most interesting was there was a fairly hidden figure in the background. This is what made the painting change from a beautiful scene to something more disturbing. The figure seems to be looking onto the raging fire at a far as though there is no way of controlling it; explaining the title "control". I want to experiment with this type of large scale and attempt to create an emotional effect similar to Cope's by creating a complete visual piece paired with a finalised concept. I aim to try out new ways of captivating a viewer such as using warm, piercing colours matched with cool blues to create a balanced atmosphere.

Artists This page is part of the collection 'Artist Research'.

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