Mark scales down for bigger success
Graffiti mural artist to hold an exhibition of paintings
Graffiti artist Mark Worst is about to go respectable – by staging his first solo art exhibition.
The 28- year- old is prepping a collection of paintings to go on display to the public for the first time, at The Vacant Space in Finnieston, Glasgow.
Realms and Ritual is his debut gallery exhibition and features 12 pieces featuring his bold style.
Mark says the collection addresses the realms of imagination beyond the surface and features his trademark pointillism technique – using thousands of individual dots to create an image.
He said: “There is an overriding theme throughout the work.
“I travelled Japan earlier this year, which was a massive source of inspiration for me.
“My fascination with masks from various cultures around the world and their history and symbolism meets with a lifelong obsession for comic book illustration and character design.”
Mark came back from Asia with a sketchbook full of ideas.
He was amazed by scenes of elegant blue herons wading through lotus flowers, the intense expressions of Japanese theatre masks hanging outside the temples of Kyoto and manga graphic novels.
The artist was also inspired to stage the exhibition by Gallery owners in Japan.
Mark explained: “I was invited to do some live painting at Dimlight gallery in Hiroshima.
“My experience of painting at the gallery and the attitude of the artists planted the seed to put together a body of work to exhibit later in the year.
“Normally, I work on a larger scale, painting on walls.
“This is about scaling down to get all that detail onto a smaller surface.
“I’m working with brushes and markers now as well as spray cans.
“It’s been interesting to feel a style come together between my background in graffiti and the style I’ve developed through the influence of tattoo culture.”
Mark discovered graffiti at the age of 14 after becoming immersed in street culture.
He began painting walls with friends before honing his skills and developing a career as a freelance artist painting bespoke murals for local businesses.
The artist has also turned his hand to body art – working at Paisley’s Chameleon Tattoo where he applies his bold dot work style to skin.
His murals adorn underpasses, warehouses, industrial yards and buildings across the country.
Mark painted the celebrated kingfisher which adorns a gable end in the Paisley’s Gordon Street.
Pieces are also scrawled in businesses around the town, including Kilty Kilty, Zika Barbers and The Bungalow.
His latest mural was painted in Derry, Northern Ireland.
It’s a huge portrait of his girlfriend Erin, 22. He has called it The Muse. Mark added: “I think the locals were a bit confused at first.
“Derry is known for it’s intense political murals, and there was a buzz about town trying to figure out who I was painting and why. ‘’
“Thankfully, I’ve had a lot of positive feedback.”
Realms and Ritual takes place at The Vacant Space in Finnieston, Glasgow and the exhibition runs from November 8 to 14.
Mark’s work can be seen online via @ markworst on Instagram and www. Facebook. com/ markworstizm
Limited edition prints are available via www.markworst.co.uk