Mark’s work is, put simply, f*cking cool! This painting in particular has so much attitude and an edgy narrative that gives you the middle finger.
What was it that grabbed me?
Mark’s paintings take you to your youth and that time in life when you partied the night away.
Bare in mind that Mark is in his 70s! His paintings celebrate fun and energy and, above all, life.
His work is full of energy – aggressive palette work sets the scene – these paintings are big too – think of them as Polaroids in oil and at scale.
He never names his work – I guess that’s the point – they’re “just” moments in time – no pretence – just life on canvas.
How does this approach inform my style?
My own painting of my wedding night – ’till Death – is a celebration of Mark’s style – I was trying to use brevity and energy to capture a time in life. In fact, I must explore that more!
Mark’s paintings are so full of story too – cheeky and irreverent – I love it!
About Mark Tennant
Mark is still banging out paintings in his 70s – go check his website to see what he’s doing >
Keep painting Mark!
