Mirror Mirror (Snow White) - Original
- Mirror Mirror’ is dark, it’s really dark but it’s also incredibly light. It’s inspired by ‘Snow White’ but the original version that was horrific in comparison to what we all think we know. That’s what inspired the ‘Storyteller’ works from the start, just how dark the original versions were that we were read as a child.
So, what you see here is the second of four chapters, it was written in reverse. Chapter four was ‘High Ho’, written in 2015 where you see her at her worst. Where all of the results of her actions are laid out in front of you in this abandoned church but there is still this hint of innocence there to give you this sense of empathy towards the character that you can’t see. The third chapter, 2018 ‘Fear Is How I Fall’, you see her within the Prince’s castle with everything that she loves around her but sadly still with her demons that are creeping out from behind the curtains, from the walls. The battles are still there and will ultimately see her falling and failing.
This is chapter two and shows the point where she has been saved, the seal has been broken from her coffin and she’s been set free by her Prince and by those that are trying to support her around her. That’s what the animals and the hints of the dwarves etc. symbolize. It’s a very, very beautiful image. The apple tree is dying and gnarled but there’s a point where it’s come back to life and it’s blossoming and it’s reaching out and touching the coffin, coinciding with where the dove is which is something that has always been used within my work for an incredibly poignant and personal reason. It shows that impact of someone, whether that is someone that you can physically see or one’s spirit that can make such a dramatic difference.
It’s everything that’s about the battles that ‘Snow White’ faced with her demons that raged within her head, as well as physically, whilst others are trying to protect her. The line ‘the struggle within, you seal your own coffin’ is from a ‘Metallica’ lyric that was on whilst I was consumed within the concept of the picture. You listen to a song on repeat to keep you where you need to be within it. This scene, this whole concept of ‘Snow White’ is someone who is genuine, who is wonderful, but someone who has got such intense demons that ultimately lead to her downfall but with these characters around her that are desperate to keep her where she deserves to be.
The wooden cottage in the background represents that industrious nature of the dwarves that are working so hard to protect. You have the animals coming out to surround the coffin. In complete contrast between the beautiful young deer and the wolf, you can look at it two ways. Is there a threat there or ultimately is it trying to protect? The all-seeing eye of the owl, again there is a conceptual thing there with seeing the dangers and trying to warn against.
The key part of this image is the mirror. This concept of who is the most fucked up of them all, that is crucial as it shows how ‘Snow White’ is battling the constant demons within, where it’s a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ character effectively and what that does is reveal that actually there is no evil Queen, that it’s not a separate character, that instead it’s a trait, a split personality. That evil Queen lives within ‘Snow White’ and it’s her demons, her paranoia, her lack of self-worth that can lead her to making these decisions that she will ultimately fall with. The closer you look at the image the more you can see this battle with darkness and light. Hopefully from knowing this concept behind it makes the tiniest of detail incredibly poignant and powerful.
This picture really does personify why ‘Storyteller’ is so incredibly powerful and key for me, taking me back to years ago when the original chapters where created, it’s certainly a marker and it just shows why I am an artist, why I create what I do. It’s how I talk; it’s how I scream and probably for others it’s a lot easier to listen through looking.
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- Released: 2021
- Collection: Storyteller
- Edition Size: 1 of 1
- Specification: Embellished canvas with bespoke frame
- Image Size: 58” x 36"
Commissions
When workload allows Mark embraces client commissions and has enjoyed amazing success to date. If you have been inspired by the work that you have seen and have a specific idea or simply a seed then please do get in touch.
Commission EnquiriesRelated Items
'Freddy's Coming For You!' - Freddy Krueger Claw Statement Piece
£795.00
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Gepetto he is not, but this carved wooden plinth displays the stuff of nightmares!
This intoxicating piece is the first offering to sit within his 'Against The Grain' series, a body of work that will grow over time and represents Mark's intention to continue to do things differently. Mark has built up an incredible reputation for the level of craft that shines through his unique frames, and it is these details that you now see in this piece.
Everything about this is unique, from Mark hand selecting the piece of Elm at a local timber mill through to carving the claw marks that are soaked in blood red resin. No two will, or can be the same. What starts with a beautiful (and innocent!) piece of Elm, is then stained, blackened, bashed and burnt. The haunting Freddy Claw glove has it's metal blades set into the blood resin channels and is then subjected to the same level of customisation as the plinth.
Limited to what will be just 20 original variations and priced incredibly well considering the level of craftsmanship and hours needed to create each piece. This is something that needs to be seen close up to be truly appreciated, but how close do you dare get to that glove?!
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- Released: 2022
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood
- Edition Size: 20 Original Variations
- Specification:
- Hand selected locally sourced Elm (obviously!)
- Hand carved claw marks filled with blood red resin
- Blackened and burned
- Metal bladed claw glove
- Title and number plaque
- Hand signed by artist - Plinth Size (Approx): 19” x 9.5”
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- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 21 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
'Grab Your Stick!' - Proton Wand Statement Piece
£995.00
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Now this is for the true obsessive GB fans! Whether you call it a Particle Thrower, Proton Blaster, Proton Gun, Positron Collider, Neutrona Wand, or Proton Wand, the result is the same! This piece looks like it’s been in a real battle and got slimed and fried AF!
I’m always striving to mix things up and look at ways of introducing my art in new formats and connecting with my collectors. Halloween 2022 saw me release something very different, and bloody dark! My Nightmare on Elm Street Claw plinth was the first piece that I have done that broke away from the traditional print editions and I loved every moment of it, and it has been so well received. It was a signal of my intentions to keep pushing and to deliver pieces that were true to my style but working with movie props to create something unique and special, whilst remaining true to my style of work. The aim was to offer a supporting piece that would complement a traditional print edition.So, my ‘RETROPLASM’ series has given me the opportunity to build on this and do something much less dark, although I couldn’t resist getting the blow torch out! ‘Grab Your Stick’ has transformed one of the coolest movie props that there has even been and made it, well I guess, funkier, and that’s before you turn the lights off – yep, the resin base glows in the dark whilst the neon paint also comes alive under lairy coloured light.
You are free to grab your stick, flick the switches and fire the sucker up! It will slam you right back to your childhood, just don’t cross the streams! Why not? Put simply, coz it’s bad, very bad! If you’re fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing, then maybe this will help. Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
Oh, but don’t stress too much, batteries are included!
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- Released: 2023
- Collection: RETROPLASM
- Edition Size: 20 Original Variations
- Specification:
- Light up LED, sound effects and vibrations
- Blackened and burned
- Small parts to connect the stand to the wand - fragile - handle with care.
- Hand signed by artist - Baseh Size (Approx): 23.5” x 8”
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- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 21 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
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88 & Out - Original
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- Released: 2019
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood 2
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"