Mark Elliott Smith

Colour and movement have always been key elements in my work. My expressive use of colour was first influenced by the comics, cartoons, and fantasy and science fiction films of the day, responding to the energy and graphic elements which fed my visual imagination.My work has been exhibited in London and the South West and at several art fairs. I have been selected for several prize exhibitions, including the Art Gemini Prize, the London Contemporary Art Prize, and The Atkinson Gallery, winning first prize at their Summer Show. I have also been commissioned to paint a number of murals for a prestigious boutique hotel.My large abstract paintings, intensely energetic and explosive in nature, are thoughtfully balanced and resolved, while quieter, more subtle compositions are formed within the space of the canvas.My neurodivergence gives me a unique window on the world, seeing thoughts and ideas as patterns. With a passion for colour, and in reference to artists such as Miro and Kandinsky, I paint in pure colours with dynamic, clean edged forms and energetic elements.There is an underlying, intrinsic essence of playfulness and heraldry noticeable in my work. This is particularly present in my more recent paintings. I explore more figurative abstraction in my colour pencil works on paper, inspired by the styles of flamenco, Georgian and folk ceremonial dance with their costumes and flying colours.Transforming a negative situation into a positive one stems my childhood. The same can be said about the dialogue of my work: my ability to make sense from chaos, to turn something wild and disordered into something wonderful, meaningful, and empowering.

Mark Elliott Smith received his BA (Hons) Fine Art from the University of Plymouth. His work has been exhibited in London and the South West and at several art fairs. He has been selected for several prize exhibitions, including the Art Gemini Prize, the London Contemporary Art Prize, and The Atkinson Gallery, winning first prize at their Summer Show. He has also been commissioned to paint a number of murals for a prestigious boutique hotel.His paintings investigate formal relationships of colour and shape and their potential for emotional affect, and examine the capacity of art to animate a space in a positive way. Mark’s neurodivergent approach gives him a unique window on the world, seeing thoughts and ideas as patterns. He draws inspiration from his childhood drawings, mediaeval art and traditional dance and costume. With a passion for colour, and in reference to artists such as Miro and Kandinsky, he paints large abstract canvases in pure colours with dynamic, clean edged forms and energetic elements. By collaging initial marks into a structure with a sense of dynamic unity and balance, he builds images which are analogues of the process of construction and destruction, fragmentation and coherence. They aspire to music, having their own rhythm, flow and emotion.The paintings are meticulously and systematically hand-painted in flat, crisp colour, and animate space with a stimulating affect of movement and vivacity, imparting an energizing, positive sense of possibility.