Now or Never

Mark Jackson is an abstract figurative artist based in London. Working with acrylics on canvas, he aims to produce paintings that explore modern masculinity, often - but not exclusively - through a queer lens. Particular themes of interest are bravery, playfulness and vulnerability. He invites the viewer to reframe their understanding of what it is to be male and vulnerable today. He creates a space in his work where the modern male is free to inhabit an almost childlike state, both removed from the expectation to be toxic and encouraged to let down his defences. In his Pimlico studio he tends to work quickly and organically, often starting with something resembling chaos on the canvas. Wonderful, messy and unpredictable. From this emerge landscapes or intimate spaces. He then brings the piece into focus, often using figures from found imagery or photographs he has taken of models. Denser layers of paint, mark making and embracing what could be considered mistakes are all essential to his process. In fact, he finds that deviations from his intended line or composition produce his most exciting and painterly work. His interest in abstraction led him to enrol in Sash Agar's Abstract Painting class at Morley College of Art. Later, he joined City Lit's Contemporary Painting Studio under the tutelage of Lucinda Oestreicher, where he began to discover his creative voice and the confidence to start honing his style. He is now a proud member of the Visual Artists Association. Outside of painting, Mark has two decades of acting experience under his belt, and he draws from his theatre and film work when he paints. Not only from a visual point of view - the composition of a frame, how light and colour influence an audience's mood - but also from an emotional perspective. He tries to carry the actor's prerogative to play, experiment and dare into every work he creates. His acting work is all about storytelling, and he hopes that his paintings help the viewer to experience their own story, be it a trip into themselves or beyond to another world. After training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he performed for the National Theatre and joined international tours and West End shows. With various screen credits to his name, he is perhaps best known for playing Isaac in Seth MacFarlane's science fiction series The Orville for Disney+.