My work has long resided at the intersection of seeing and perceiving (the process of selecting, organizing and interpreting what is seen by the eyes). As an artist who has found himself drawn with increasing fascination to those big picture questions as to the nature of our existence, my more recent creative focus is from the perspective of a conscious, self-aware entity who must engage at a material level with the whats, the hows and the whys of a vast and multi-dimensional universe. While my field of interest is solidly grounded in the studio disciplines of drawing and painting, I am nevertheless fascinated with the material nature of these disciplines, as well as in nontraditional materials and the sculptural elements that populate my artworks, which range from two-dimensional drawing and painting to sculptural assemblages, and on to conceptual and installation art.
Art, its materials and its making, is a means of knowing the world. It is not simply about the art itself, but also about the process of its making. Each work, every painting, drawing, mixed media or installation is an evolving and expanding process, and as such is a means of negotiating, exploring and engaging in a form of visual, tactile and conceptual research. These various elements fit into the structure of a greater realm of inquiry – one that both explores and marvels at those capacities, perceptions, conditions and events that identify us as thinking, experiencing entities inhabiting a wondrous existence.
PALETTE
At first glance one might not think of me as a colorist, and indeed if anything, my palette has favored relatively subdued colors. However, even in its subtle variations the phenomenon of color as well as the manner in which we encounter and perceive it in the world are of particular interest to me. More recently, this has led me to hues of greater saturation, as is evident in my Iconic series*. Though certainly aware of symbolism and meaning, while certainly relevant, these do not so much grab my attention as do those day-to-day situations in which color is experienced.
MATERIALS
Nontraditional materials: While my field of interest is solidly grounded in the studio arts of drawing and painting, I am very much fascinated with the material nature of these disciplines, as well as in nontraditional materials and sculptural elements. Thus, in addition to paint, my works also frequently include found objects, odd bits and pieces, old sheet metals, recycled textiles, even concrete and other construction materials, in addition to ready-made elements. I will not hesitate to bring my work “off the wall” into three dimensions.
DRAWING
Having discovered it very early, drawing was my gateway into the world of art. For me, drawing has been a way of exploring the world. Every time I put crayon to paper I pay homage to that first source. As of late, the physical act of drawing and the mechanics of the body has become particularly intriguing. This latter interest springs from having been teaching introductory drawing in a university arts program. Observing the struggles of the students as they attempted to tame their unruly hands, it dawned upon me that rather than trying to force them into submission, the better method would be to exploit one’s natural mechanics and motions of hand, arm and body. The out take has been a growing body of large-scale drawings exploring the concept of the kinesiology of drawing.
Mark Gerard McKee 