Ride On (The Magnificent Seven) - Original
- On the surface all seems right and genuine yet look a little closer, delve a little deeper and you’ll see that things really are far from as they should be, as they so easily could be if a mans’ ego could be suppressed and managed. For a good while now Steve McQueen had enjoyed the lime light, been labelled the main man and with the bright lights and hype people flocked to see him at every release. The trouble is that if you are continually told you are the star then the chances of you believing that you are what is written are high and if there is a weakness or flaw in your character then your demon is born and left unmanaged will continue to grow behind you and you ultimately become the victim of your own success and the controller of your own downfall.
Rather than focus on his own craft, McQueen started to become distracted and display signs of petulance against his compatriot Yul Brynner with whom he possibly viewed as a threat, fearing that there was a new sheriff in town effectively and rather than play to one anothers’ strengths for the greater good and benefit of all involved McQueen instead chose to battle for control against someone who was simply there to display his talent with a genuine motivation to see it brought into peoples front rooms. McQueen had clearly lost his head and lost his focus, the battle resided purely in his head but continued to make diva demands that started to fall on def ears of those who had originally pandered to every command in the fear of losing their main man whom they had built up to fill their coffers. Yet in complete contrast Brynner whom many looked at as the understudy just got on with his job that he was paid to do and shone and when quizzed about rumours of a rift simply replied "I never feud with actors. I feud with studios.” In this story the winds of change blow strongly, the monotony of the tumbleweed keeps rolling through before all that remains is dust, ultimately you decide who is the last man standing.
My take on John Sturges’ iconic film is one that is authentic and nostalgic, littered with detail and references to the 'Wild West’ period where the battle between good and bad play out in many ways. Subtle references exist that highlight the unrest between the two men, dark forces are again at work here, yet as ever there exists hope. I wanted to add a different detail to this piece and one that I haven’t introduced to date, as mentioned in my opening paragraph if you look a little more closely the eagle-eyed audience may just spot a few clangers within the scene, deliberately included to embrace the love of finding glaring director-made errors. As a result of the petulance outlined earlier those in charge of bringing a relatively large number of individuals together, each with their own characters and style and getting them to work as a team became distracted and complacency crept in and smaller details were overlooked. I won’t point out what those are but they are clearly there if you look closely.
The devil really is in the detail, ride on! -
- Released: 2017
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
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"