Studio Space | Visual Arts

Mark England’s Studio


photos by Steve Coray ~ text by Dave Holmes

Stroll down the long straight hallway of Poor Yorick Studios (530 West 700 South) at almost any time of day and you are likely to find artist Mark England at work in his studio. The warm summer sun cascades through the skylight, illuminating his generous collection of wall-sized drawings, delicate boxes, and oil paintings.

Two years ago, Mark moved from a modest garage to a studio twice the size, yet he still yearns for more space. Indeed, the scale of his collage artistry requires ample space and many objects for inspiration; delicate figurines, assorted magazines, and colorful bits of fabric and wallpaper are placed on shelves and piled in stacks around the room. England’s work includes landscape drawings and paintings as seen from great distances. Applying solvent transfer techniques and using a heightened perspective gives his work a quality of vastness and keeps the viewer’s eye searching for hidden surprises, like the tiny figure of a man kneeling on the lakeshore tucked away inside one of England’s music boxes. His vision captures the essence of other art forms; the magical transformation in the ballet “Swan Lake” and the Great Salt Lake’s spiral jetty (created by Robert Smithson in 1969) feature prominently in his recent creations.

England spent months upgrading his new studio, adding a library and sitting area where visitors can meet, reflect, and share ideas. He enjoys the community feeling at Poor Yorick; the quiet and respectful atmosphere encourages focus and minimizes distractions. Neighboring artists complete and display their work, creating an environment of friendly competition. England envisions establishing a Monday night artists’ forum in the true spirit of the Paris salon: a private, intimate setting of open discussion and critique, for which his studio would be well suited.

 

Categories: Studio Space | Visual Arts

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