For as long as I can remember dyslexia has made my need to express myself seem like an impossible dream. I have felt misunderstood, frustrated and helpless. I still struggle to sculpt the words into the meaningful descriptions of feelings trapped within, that others around me relate with such apparent ease. Painting has allowed me to display my true and innermost feelings to hold them up and express myself without the need for words……
After leaving school I made an attempt to attend art-collage but failed to get in due to my lack of qualifications. So for many years I worked as a Butcher qualified chef and Homemaker.
Although I have been painting for most of my life in a range of media and traditional styles. It has been Abstract and Modern art that has enabled me to expand my visual vocabulary, opening up a world of new possibilities which previously I have been unable to explore.
For me now, representational art is an illusion, it fools the eye and confuses the mind by defining reconcilable shapes and form, the viewer might be treated to a visual narrative that is easily accessible, but by defining reality we are set in a scene that is inescapable, we are defining a singular point in both space and time, in effect forcing the voyeur to experience only what we choose. However a dilemma arises when we try to depict complex emotions such as pleasure and pain. The reality is that they look and feel exactly the same. They are in fact indistinguishable and the only difference is whether we choose to enjoy the moment or not
Contradictions and not facts predominate throughout my work. I seek to promote alternative views. I encourage the viewer to observe my work from a more diverse viewpoint in a less than conventional prospective. My aim is to leave a mark
Mark Johansen