Mark Curryer’s bold, atmospheric cityscapes are inspired by distinctive architecture and the day-to-day trappings of urban life. He is fascinated by the effect of rain on the city, particularly at night, and the way the multiple light sources play in the reflections.
Mark’s stunning images are created with little conventional brush work. Instead, he uses a wide range of alternative tools including rollers and scrapers to achieve the textures and effects which are characteristic of his work. His use of newsprint adds a further layer of texture to each piece; while some of the exposed newsprint is by design, other parts occur naturally where the rollers and scrapers lay the paints unevenly which reflects the unexpected and unpredictable nature of life lived at speed in the city.
Although at first glance his paintings appear impressionistic, on closer inspection, it can be seen that he enjoys including small areas of detail which interestingly link the eye to the setting of the paintings. He adds these detailed areas using a whole range of unexpected items – literally any object however unusual in order to produce the marks he needs. Born in Eastbourne, Mark had always had a keen interest in drawing and painting and at an early age, he won a number of competitions for his drawings. He studied three-dimensional design at Eastbourne Art College and built successful career, but despite the attraction of working in the city, the draw towards art was ever present and Mark finally returned to his first love, painting. He has a dedicated studio at his home in Eastbourne where he now paints full-time.
Mark has exhibited all over the UK with his work selling worldwide. Aside from a successful series of sell-out shows, some of his recent achievements include being named as a finalist for ‘Best up and coming Published Artist’ of 2018, and a superb live painting exhibition at the Edinburgh Fringe.
