This Artwork Titled: Jack’s Cow is one of x12 Artworks at Marcus’s current Solo Art Exhibition; Fairy Stories for Lost Child Hoods at Mansfield Library Gallery. On until 25th Feb 2022. It’s inspired by the Fairy Story Jack and the Beanstalk Dim: 60 x 40cm What interested Marcus the most about this story was the Cow and he decided to make the Artwork iconic of the animal. Marcus only previously knew of the Jack and the Beanstalk story through Pantomime. The Panto Cow is a well remembered fun feature of it so he concentrated on making this artwork a portrait of the Cow with the other magical elements included about it. He wanted to make the Portrait thick and painterly unlike the way he had been previously creating art but soon discovered old Collaging habits die hard. So it is part Collage and part Painting. The Cow is of course sold for beans in the story so he’s tried to achieve a balance between joy and horror in this portrait too, as well as a degree of originality. Making of the Artwork Video
Marcus was born in the East End of London. Grew up in Canada and Nottingham where he now lives. On the way he was Care Experienced for 4 yrs. Including in two National Children's Homes. See Observer Newspaper Article, Marcus Clarke, in 'the Review' right. Marcus says: "I use Puppets, Puppet Making materials, tools and glues from my world of work as a Professional Puppet Maker. Puppetry Performance Objectives, skills and talents from my work as a Professional Puppeteer. Observations from my varied work as a West End Theatre Stage Manager and Regional Stage Technician. I combine all these with my Fine Art skills and knowledge. Continually added to since my teenage years as an art student at Mansfield College of Art. Materials: I use canvases, paints and drawing materials. I include found objects, puppets, toys, photo's, antiquities. Jewelry and junk to create imaginative, expressive, sometimes unsettling but always engaging art. Sometimes I create artworks as Paintings, Collages, Assemblages, Films and Installations. My artwork is self expression combined with a passion to engage and entertain others. It directly draws on my own life’s experiences but is informed by those of my audiences. I also try to Educate, Inform and Inspire people and of all ages to be creative, to make art about what they know or don't. Drawing on their own lives, dreams. Centrally their world of work. I'm trying to advocate for the Arts, Puppetry and Theatre. To be relevant and to make a difference. See Marcus and Ron on YouTube! Marcus and Ron is a new development. It's about addressing to some extent the above's over thinking. As Sir Ken Robinson warns, you can educate yourself out of being creative. Risk, to be an artist you need to be able to be wrong. Puppet Ron is the side of me as an Artist that lacks inhibitions. Takes Risks. Picasso says "all children are born Artists. The challenge is to remain one". Marcus says, "Marcus and Ron is a Man with Puppet Creative Partnership Arts Practice that challenges contemporary art norms and conventions with childish thinking, childishness". "Puppet Ron is a skilled Painter, genius Colourist and expert Landscape Artist”. Says Ron..
