Artist Analysis: Mark Powell

Mark Powell

Powell is a London based artist who was born in Leeds. He studied art at high school but did not achieve the best grades, he did not intend to enrol into a university but accidentally did so, however since graduating he has had shows across the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States.
He primarily specialises in portraiture of the elderly, all of his work/sketches are done in bic biro pen and are on a recycled envelopes that act as a canvas.This is important in his work, as he believes that history is preserved and as a viewer, we have an insight in to the history of the letter and an insight into the senders/persons history, he says that a story can be told through the wrinkles and creases on their face; layers and layers of a persons story in one piece.
His work inspires me through the fact that the detail in the piece that has been put there by only one medium, it shows that the most detailed of things do not need to be the most complicated.

Examples of Mark Powell's work:

Untitled (201, biro pen on paper.
http://www.emptykingdom.com/featured/mark-powell-and-his-biro-pen/

Untitled (2013), biro on 1915 envelope
http://hanguppictures.com/urban/artists/mark-powell/untitled-12

Untitled (2013) biro on envelope
http://www.emptykingdom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Mark-Powell_web14.jpg

This piece shows a drawing of an elderly man with a happy expression and wearing spectacles, however the spectacles are not compete, they are only filled with the existing writing on the envelope and a few simple lines. Also only the main part of the face is complete, and the surrounding areas are filled in with simple construction lines that show where the rest of the man's features. These simple lines add simplicity into the piece, and like I said in my previous post, I would like to incorporate this unfinished look into my own work.
The formal elements used in this piece are tone, the light and dark marks contrast and create shadows; tone is essential in this piece due to showing the creases and wrinkles in the man's skin. Also form; the form used on this piece is different to a larger scale piece due to the drawing being conducted on a larger scale, having to fit on an envelope; this could mean that their could be less detail in a smaller scale piece than on a larger scale piece.
This piece inspires me because it is not perfect, but at the same time, eye-catching and magnificently detailed.

http://www.markpowellartist.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/stevenhart7/mark-powell/
http://markpowellartist.tumblr.com/www.markpowellartist.tumblr.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ben-j-cotton/mark-powell-artist_b_3477697.html
http://hanguppictures.com/urban/artists/mark-powell