marcus mcallister

Captivated by inner workings

the gallery will be open during regular business hours (Tu - Su, 12pm - 6pm). social distancing and masks are required for those who have yet to complete their covid-19 vaccinations.

the first wednesday opening reception for this exhibition will be held on wednesday, july 7th from 6 - 9pm, and an artist talk about the show will be held on Sunday, july 11 from 4 - 6pm as a part of our ARTiculate series.

Anaïs Nin: We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.

“It’s hard to see objectively; I’m not sure I ever really succeed. I’m not sure I even care to try. My inner workings get in the way, and that’s fine. The trick, I’ve learned, is to give this subjective inner dialogue its proper weight.

My feelings are filters, and my desires, fears and expectations change how I see the people around me. Shifting moods and fluctuating energy levels have their own heft. Last night’s dreams stick to my skin, while old memories peek through today’s conversations.

In the end it’s all just more information to interpret.

A recent thread in my work is the desire to give form to these interferences of internal and external information. I want abstract internal realities to be as tangible and as visible as faces. These become subjective portraits, blurred by layers. Patterns enlace the figures, while their eyes turn elsewhere, obscured by their own thoughts.

The images become less clear, but I find them much more faithful. Subjectively.” - McAllister

Marcus McAllister's work focuses on sublime, dreamlike fragments coupled with the state of the everyday occurrences of life. McAllister follows a systematic pattern of images externalizing his own thoughts and emotions. Images of people, of geometric patterns and of vegetation reflect upon themselves, hiding coyly in plain sight among decorative elements and create a « spatial lace » that complicates the reading of the image by opening its layers.

The artist’s practice is sketchbook-centred: for more than thirty years the artist has carried a sketchbook with him wherever he goes, using it as a tool for pulling order from chaos. The sketchbook (currently number 125) organizes random information, digests experiences and memories, ideas and imaginings. The process secretes meaning.

Marcus McAllister’s acrylic paintings are expansions of the sketchbook-generated ideas. His paintings present dream-like depictions of figures, characters, animals, and cities. Sometimes there are recognizable forms and places, painted from life or memory, and sometimes the depictions are more symbolic and abstract. The artist has a characteristic style that combines fine art, illustration, and mysticism — a quality that transcends time and setting.

This exhibition is presented alongside the latest works from Anne Boudreau & Diane Hanson. All works from these artists are on view, free of charge, during normal gallery hours (12 - 6 p.m., Tue - Sun) from July 6 - 29, 2021.