Love Will Find A Way (Romeo & Juliet) - Original
-
Prior to sale this original was proudly on display within the iconic London Playhouse Theatre courtsey of Dark House Studio.
My interpretation of Shakespeare’s classic tale Romeo & Juliet illustrates a scene within a theatre when the curtain has come down but the light remains, the iconic balcony set is still on stage following the final performance. What we then see is the ghost-like figures of Romeo and Juliet reaching towards each other, their hands just about to touch.
As with the narrative the two characters have to rely on secrecy and stolen moments. I have created this to represent the two lovers re-united in death in the hope to achieve a really beautiful and powerful image that is a lovely appreciation of Shakespeare’s story. The stone columns and balustrades are combined with creeping ivy and beautiful bougainvillea as if set on in a villa in Verona, withering roses lay scattered on the stage floor and twisting steps, not just linking to the narrative and portraying love but positioned as if have been thrown onto the stage by the audience who filled the room.
I wanted to the piece to be atmospheric, through using smoke and shadows, subtle tones and detail and dramatic lighting I am really happy with the immersive qualities of the scene. -
- Released: 2017
- Collection: Stagecraft
- Specification: 1 of 1 original - Bespoke frame & 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
Crushed Like Fruit (The Kite Runner) - Original
- What happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime...
My interpretation of the incredibly powerful story by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini is a piece that focuses on the seemingly unbreakable bond between Amir and Hassan in a world where the innocence of youth is King. The Kite Runner was a natural choice for me as the battle between dark and light, evil and good frequently battle for supremicy within my work and Khaled’s narrative fits perfectly. Guilt and redemption feature prominently in the novel with a pivotal scene depicting an act of violence against Hassan that Amir fails to prevent. The latter half of the book centers on Amir’s attempts to atone for this transgression by rescuing Hassan’s son over two decades later.
For me this piece had to focus on the pomegranate tree, upon learning of it’s beautiful significance and multi-layered symbolism for the two boys friendship there was only ever one route for me. “There was a pomegranate tree near the entrance of the cemetery. One summer day, I used one of Ali’s kitchen knives to carve our names on it: ‘Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul’. Those words made it formal: The tree was ours.” The boys saw the tree as their special place and thought that nothing could take the friendship away from them. After the horrible tragedy that Amir witnesses with Hassan where the innocence of youth was stolen and crushed like fruit, the tree no longer holds the same meaning for the two of them. There is only one sin. and that is theft... I have created a scene that has been left wide open for interpretation and one for you to decide whether the tree is indeed dying or fighting back and to establish the links and the significance between the objects that exist within the sand-blown landscape of Kabul.
There is detail that comes out from the shadows, detail that for example might initially look like falling leaves from the dying tree but then move closer and you see that they are actually crows in the distance. Items have been placed next to each other that symbolise the gulf in contrast between fragile beauty and explosive destruction. I particularly love how Khaled set the pomegranate tree within the grounds of a cemetery to convey this powerful play between life and death and everything in-between. There is something intense about how one act, one decision made by you or another can simply crush all that is wonderful and living. I choose the title ‘Crushed Like Fruit’ for how it conveys that very destructive act, how something that is full of good can be so easily and aggressively taken by man’s actions, be that the brutal theft of Hassan’s innocence by Assef or the destruction of a beautiful country with all that remains being an empty shell.
Ultimately despite how intense the shadows may be there will exist light and light shines brightest when surrounded by darkness. It might take longer to make it’s way through but it always finds a way, two decades in this case but I am firm believer that true friendship never dies, it will wither and wilt but those with the strongest, deepest roots have blossomed and born fruit and can resist periods of drought and neglect. -
- Released: 2017
- Collection: Stagecraft
- Specification: 1 of 1 original - Bespoke frame & embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
I'll Take My Leave Of You (Dracula) - Original
- I always look for a hook within the original narrative that captures my imagination and where there is a particular character that I feel empathy and interest with. Studying Bram Stoker’s plot it was Mina, John Hawker’s fiancée that I chose to base this piece on.
She was bitten by Dracula and pursued by ‘the three sisters’, Dracula's wives with the battle to protect Mina from them and only released from her curse when Dracula was killed. What I have created here is an intense and powerful image of Mina stood looking at something out of view, surrounded by darkness and tiny details depicting Dracula and blood but with an open window of hope in the background.
Her face is abstract, showing 2 sides to her (more on this later) and at the point where her curse is being lifted suggesting that she and those who have fought to save her have won. That in itself is a perfect representation of darkness and light, despair and hope that drives my work yet I do like to conceive a secondary narrative that then makes the piece much more appealing outside of those the fan base for the film itself. I have created another concept for ’the three sisters’ that is more generic, they represent alcohol, nicotine and narcotics - each vampires in themselves as they can suck the life blood out of the individual that they get their fangs into and can only be banished for good when a significant shard of light is shone onto them, in this case hope.
So the character that you see then becomes someone that many more can relate to for so many a reason where they are looking at a female who is stalked by her own Dracula - her demons that she fights daily when the darkness replaces light. Exit light, enter night. The title, which is scrawled onto the wall behind her 'I'll Take My Leave Of You’ is subtle but when seen makes this piece whole-heartedly positive as it shows her determination to beat her curse. Curse itself is a pivotal word here, it suggests that the demons that she battles were not let in by choice but from being cursed, from a life event that inflicted these wounds that struggle to heal. And it is that combined with her determination to win out that generates so much empathy towards the woman within the picture. -
- Released: 2019
- Collection: Stagecraft
- Edition Size: 5 + 1AP in standard and large editions
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Available exclusively with Eaton Fine Art
 - Original&media=https://markdaviesbritishartist.co.uk/cdn/shop/products/RJFull_600x.jpg?v=1524309712){kind=link}
Carry Me Anew (Ophelia) - Original
- Ok, I’m not going to pretend to be a devoted fan of William Shakespeare and his works. However, what I do find is that there is always such a strong pull towards taking on a subject due to his ability to create such intense characters that seem to resonate. ‘Carry Me Anew’ is my latest piece that falls within an often overlooked body of work entitled ‘Stagecraft’ that houses other pieces that include the likes of ‘Romeo & Juliet’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘Oliver Twist’ and ‘The Woman In Black’.
I have always been aware of other artist’s interpretations of Ophelia and when the brief came in to portray her in my own way I jumped at the chance. Being the follow up commission by Eaton Fine Art, this gave me the opportunity and freedom to further build on the previous piece (and style) ‘I’ll Take My Leave Of You’ that again focused on a female character, Mina from Dracula!
So many of my deeper, and often darker pieces are inspired and driven by incredibly personal and genuine emotions that transform the image, opening it up to a wider audience who are drawn to the character that they see for equally personal and often very different reasons. I genuinely love this and makes me so incredibly proud to be able to create art with such powerful meaning that pulls on people’s heart strings.
Research is always key, what became clear very quickly was the mental health aspect to Ophelia’s character and the ensuing tragedy that followed. Something resonated with me very quickly and powerfully and the more I continued reading, the more things built in my mind and there was only ever one way of portraying her then. What you see in my work is an outpouring of my emotions and thoughts, how I interpret a subject ensures that it will always only ever be unique, genuine and honest. It is how I talk, how I scream and how I heal.
Luckily, the impact of one’s mental health is recognised so much more than before, reasons become clearer and risks become more apparent and therefore offering more chances to save that person. What a truly tragic tale, there was no way could I simply portray her at a final point, others have, but with my narrative that drives my work and the hope that fuels the fire while fanning the flames, there had to be an alternative way of depicting Ophelia.
I wanted to ensure that my emotions didn’t distort things too much, which can mean that you go racing off in a different direction that results in a piece that, whilst still being linked, bears minimal resemblance to the aspirations of the client! So, what we see is Ophelia as a beautiful woman within the water, surrounded by the synonymous weeping willow tree and waterlilies but with those objects given another reason for being there.
The fact that Ophelia drowned fuelled my narrative, a culmination of drowning in so many ways, mentally, emotionally and ultimately, physically. This is a tale of a beautiful woman continually let down and passed off, tricked and blamed, a woman who’s heart was full to bursting yet who’s demons had grown so tall behind her that she struggled to see the white of her walls. A woman that sought beauty but found beast, a woman that desperately needed strength but fell under due to her branch breaking under the ‘weight’ of her. Yet, here exists a woman who continues to breath under water and will break the surface and be carried anew.
So what are we looking at? A drowned woman? Do you see it as Ophelia rising up to heaven and that the title therefore relates to her finding a happier place? From my point of view, absolutely not! What we see is a person who has effectively died through drowning but who’s lungs are now full of hope and is starting to rise upwards towards a more positive state of mind. Look closely and you’ll see the beauty of the lotus flowers but who’s roots swirl around Ophelia’s feet in an attempt to drag her further down and hold her there. Still waters run deep.
Subtle feathers, both white and black fall downwards, signifying the impact of both good and evil. Butterflies flutter around her, further depicting the sense of being transformed and freed, a concept that runs through so much of my works. ‘Carry Me Anew’ can scream or it can whisper, it can grab and shake or gently hug you. However, what it does do is convey that there is life after ‘death’ and to never under-estimate one’s fragility and one’s strength. Write another chapter or simply just help to hold the pen to allow another to write theirs. -
- Released: 2021
- Collection: Stagecraft
- Edition Size: Original
- Specification: Mixed media original piece, hand signed by artist.
- Available exclusively with Eaton Fine Art