Mark Francis: Field

Marlborough Graphics is delighted to present Field, a new series of etchings by London-based painter artist Mark Francis. 

Francis is strongly influenced by natural history, medicine, taxonomy and animal and plant life as conceptual sources for making work. His graphic oeuvre began with experiments in monotype in the late 1980s and encompasses etchings and lithographs.  Whilst the imagery in his prints is closely aligned with his explorations in paint, Francis enjoys the specific opportunities printmaking offers him.  

In contrast to the labour intensive preparations required when working on canvas, printing frees him to embrace ‘accidental’ mark making and is driven by a personal fascination with the relationship between the plate and the paper: “the act of peeling back the plate to reveal an image never ceases to excite me” MF 

For this series of etchings, Francis takes inspiration from his archive, specifically a painting of his from 1997 called Abacus II (GLE+AC), illustrated below. The black elements in the compositions provide a kind of motif for the works and are themselves drawn from images of Oscillograms which show the vibration of sound. This minimalist composition provides the structure for explorations into the sublime joy of colour and a depth of texture made possible through the energy of mark making.

Marlborough Graphics is proud to continue our longstanding relationship with Mark Francis in recognition of his talent and exceptional output. These prints are available individually and as a set of five, which is offered at a special price at launch. These works are also included in our presentation for London Original Print Fair, launching online on 1st May 2020. 

Please enquire for further information.