Mark Manders
Manders invites us to look beyond the tangible qualities of objects.
Image credit: Mark Manders, Figure with Thin White Rope, 2005–2024, painted bronze, painted canvas, iron, aluminum, offset print on paper, rope, 238 x 174 x 200 cm, Ed. of 3 plus artist proof. Photo: HV-Studio. Courtesy of the artist and Xavier Hufkens, Brussels
Mystery surrounds Mark Manders’ creative practice and identity. His early interests in graphic design and poetry soon progressed into the more subjective freedoms of fine art. Since 1986, Manders has been creating Self-Portrait as a Building, a fictionalised and abstract embodiment of the self through an ever-evolving array of sculptures, installations and paintings divided across rooms. Identity becomes fragmented, something that you can enter and leave. For the artist, these creations are made by a fictional persona separate from his shy self.
Self-Portrait as a Building’s different iterations often feature 1980s-inspired design elements, androgynous human figures, creatures and abstract forms, creating an eclectic expression of identity. “It was very logical to place these objects in an imaginary space,” says the artist. “It is a kind of three-dimensional book in the shape of a building. For some, walking through the rooms of an exhibition may feel like walking through a mind.”
Manders’ artist-mind embraces both the ephemeral and the enduring in the materiality of his works. The neutral browns and greys of raw materials, rough edges, crumbling forms, plastic sheeting and scaffolding-like support structures make his creations feel deliberately unfinished and fragile. The artist uses durable bronze to mimic the finish of unfired clay and painted imitations of natural wood, playing with the viewer’s perception.
Self-Portrait as a Building is repeatedly remade and added to – some of the works within it have been created over several years. This constant work in progress speaks to the dynamic nature ... Subscribe to read all articles in full
