Marcus Hodge explores the world of the horse; from the Marwari horses of Rajasthan, the international circus horses of Monaco, to the thoroughbreds and Arab horses of the Middle East. This energetic equine painter brings together these fascinating subjects and studies the figures and landscapes who stand with them.
Marcus’ painting and family are central to his life. Having such a strong family has allowed him to channel his considerable life force into painting and provided a stability from where he can walk the tightrope of producing works of art. His work extends from his character. It has a natural vitality. He is a restless spirit that finds expression in the medium of painting, drawing and sculpture. The work is conceived more instinctively than intellectually. What he is after is a language that 'speaks directly to the heart'. There is an urgency apparent in his paintings and sculptures, but that is not to say there is no thought behind them . The urgency comes from his desire to get it down, to have a direct line from his initial impulse to the finished work. His is not a ponderous nature. The reflection happens unconsciously, emerging as a digested experience, finding substance through action.
The immediacy of his paintings finds expression in gestural marks that capture energy and movement. This is especially true when he paints a horse. He is equally interested in the stuff and substance of paint. That is why we can enjoy the mark making for its own sake as well as the images they build. It is the magic of something that is at once flat and three-dimensional and, when done well, convinces us.
This spell is demonstrated in the paintings of Dubai and the Highlands of Scotland. Each painting registers specific light, movement, space and texture in the surface of paint. The surfaces are built up as a deliberate response to the textures observed. In Scotland it is tree, rock, snow or water. In India it is the accumulation of history and human life. In both, he is after the sense that these places are timeless.
In his own words, 'despite the obvious change in temperature and colour of palette from the deserts of Dubai to the cool snows of Scotland, the thread of energy as expressed in paint runs through the paintings. This thread is what unifies the body of work. Small and large paintings alike seek a balance between the abstract and pictorial. They strive to convey a sense of temperature and place through colour, surface and texture.'
His paintings and sculptures are fresh because he always wants to work beyond his limits. It was put very well by Manet when he said, ‘every painting is like throwing myself into water without knowing how to swim’
