In his upcoming exhibition of new paintings, Marcus Freeman has turned his attentions to landscape. Although not exclusively set in the English countryside, these imaginary paintings are inspired by the history of 20th century landscape painting in Britain. Using a restricted palette of black, white and muted earth colours, and negative line, Freeman’s acrylic paintings on board resemble large woodcuts, suggesting an ambiguity about where they sit in relation to painting, illustration and design.

Past art works by Freeman have tended to concentrate on the urban environment, populated with abandoned or empty buildings, and at first glance this new series appears to be something of a departure.

But each landscape has been painstakingly built up using overlapping forms, so that Freeman’s depiction of the countryside is strangely unreal. Nestled among the sculpted topography of these paintings are architectural elements like a roofless
barn or an abandoned pillbox that indicate these landscapes are not quite as bucolic as they seem. Atmospherically they also inhabit that melancholy world of his earlier urban landscapes where the sense of abandonment is all too apparent to see.

Marcus Alexis Freeman
Born Cambridge 1974

After leaving the Art Foundation course in Cambridge in 1992 (The last year the of the course originally founded by Ruskin), Marcus moved to London to study Graphic Design at Middlesex University (formerly Hornsey School of Art) from 1993 to 1996 and returned to fine art after a career as a commercial designer.

The artworks
The painted works are acrylic on canvas. The drawings are available as limited-edition prints.

Sartorial Contemporary Art
26 Argyle Square London WC1H 8AP

Open Wednesday to Friday 1 – 6pm
Or by appointment
29 September - 18 October 2011