Mark Burrell

Mark Burrell (born 1957) is a British Artist, long resident in Lowestoft, UK. He spent a year during his childhood in Libya. Returning to Lowestoft he studied art at Lowestoft College before travelling throughout Europe.

Burrell has won numerous prizes for his art which has featured in many books, book covers and magazines. He is also, conjointly with Peter Rodulfo, a leading member of the collective known as the North Sea Magical Realists.

Portrait of the artist Mark Burrell 2014

Critical Appraisal

In a career now spanning several decades, Burrell has exhibited his paintings throughout East Anglia, London, and the USA, receiving much critical acclaim, including the following -

Burrell's work is obsessive and probing, revealing underlying elements that question ones sense of self. A psychotic surrealism that is a refreshing assault on ritualised aesthetics ^[1]

The paintings by Mark Burrell convey rare command of a very peculiar and very English painter, for Mark is essentially a story teller who employs pigment rather than words to construct allegories, fables and fictions. His fantastic narratives are as much concerned with plot, setting and character as they are with line space and colour.^[2]

…(His) paintings are colourful and often very personal, and at times very mysterious indeed, these paintings can be looked at again and again, there are touches of humour as well as the darker side of life, from strange green beings growing out of bushes, communing with ghosts, to sheep in fields flying.^[3]

Mark paints symbolist figurative oils with psychic, religious or political themes, often dealing with intense states of mind or emotion, a highly patterned world in beautiful states of decay. ^[4]

Media Appearances

Burrell has frequently appeared on British TV including-

* Anglia Television Programme – 'Coastal Inspiration’s Interviewed in Studio and Work Exhibited Series Lowestoft

* BBC2 TV Programme Matter of Fact Cabbage Patch War (Nov 1996)

* Anglia Television – The Front Row Paintings Exhibited (Nov 1995) Presented by Shaun Meo

*Anglia Television Programme Moving Art Awarded First Prize. Presenter George Melly, interviewed by Sister Wendy Beckett and prize awarded by Bill Oddie (November 1991).

* Anglia Television Programme – Personal Interview and Paintings Exhibited (August 1991)

Exhibitions

1987

The Royal Academy, London – Summer Exhibition

1988

The Mall Gallery, London. Britain’s Painter’s ’88

Central Library, Great Yarmouth – Four-Man Show

Christie’s East Anglia, Cley Mill Appeal

Assembly Rooms, Norwich, Norfolk

1989

The Fermoy Gallery, Kings Lynn – Eastern Open and Tour

The Contact Gallery, Norwich, Norfolk – An Intensity of Vision, Four-Man Show

The Castle Museum, Norwich, Norfolk – Norwich Artists

The Chappell Gallery, Essex – Summer Mixed Exhibition

The Advice Arcade Gallery, Norwich, Norfolk

Norwich Twenty Group Exhibition, Norwich, Norfolk

Norwich Union Headquarters, Art Auction Centre – In Aid of Third World

1990

The Regent Road Art Gallery, Lowestoft, Suffolk

The Chappell Gallery, Essex, One Man Show

Centre D’Art Contemporain, Rouen, France

The Knapp Gallery, London

The Halesworth Gallery, Halesworth, Suffolk – Three-Man Show

The Norwich School of Art, Norwich, Norfolk – Norwich Artists

The Boundary Galleries Summer Exhibition, Cransford, Suffolk

The School House gallery, Wighton, Wells-Next-to-Sea, Norfolk

1991

The Eastern Open, Kings Lynn

The Boundary Gallery Easter Exhibition, Cransford, Suffolk

The Picture Place, Lowestoft, Suffolk

Open Studio’s, Eastern Arts

The Chappell Gallery, Essex

Royal Over-Seas League London – A View Of the New Exhibition. Awarded the ‘Lucy Morison Memorial Prize’ for an oil Painting

Norwich Artists Group, Annual Exhibition

Kings Lynn Art Centre

Norfolk and Norwich Festival – Open Studios

The Boundary Gallery Summer Exhibition & Xmas Show, Cransford Suffolk

The Splinter Gallery London – First Showing

1992

The Mall Gallery, London- Wilde Contemporary Art

The Splinter Gallery, London- Painters today

The Boundary Gallery Summer Exhibition, Cransford Suffolk

The Gallery 74, South Audley St, London -Wilde Contemporary Art

The Cork Brick Gallery Summer Exhibition, Bungay

The Boundary Gallery Autumn Show, Cransford Suffolk

The Regent Road Art Gallery – Summer Exhibition, Lowestoft, Suffolk

The Chappell Gallery, Essex – Two-Man Show

The Cork Brick Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Bungay

The Chappell Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Essex

1993

Contact Gallery, Three-Man Show (The Human Condition)

Regent Road Art Gallery – Summer Exhibition, Arts Forum

The Chappell Gallery, Essex, Summer Show

Gallery 12 B Fredrikstad, Norway – Mixed Exhibition

The Boundary Gallery, Cransford, Suffolk

The Gallery, 44 Aldeburgh, One Man show

1994

The Eastern Open, Kings Lynn – Painting Highly Commended

Regent Road Arts Centre, Lowestoft, Suffolk – One Man Show

The Corpusty Gallery, Corpusty, Norfolk Three-Man Show

The Fruit Market Gallery – 7th National Award, Edinburgh & Sotheby’s, New Bond Street, London- The Spectator

1995

Le Chat Noir Gallery, Mayfair London

LOGOS Art Gallery, Bloomsbury, London

The Mall Galleries (Discerning Eye) London

Julian Spalding – Art Gallery & Museum Director Glasgow,

Oriel High School, Gorleston, Norfolk

Art’s Forum, Regent Road Art Gallery, Lowestoft, Suffolk

Norwich Castle Museum – Norwich, Norfolk

1996

The Eastern Open, Kings Lynn

The Arts Centre, Lowestoft – (Various Dimensions)

The Advice Arcade Gallery, Summer Exhibition, Norwich, Norfolk

The Gallery, St George’s Street, Norwich

Art’s Forum, Regent Road Art Gallery, Lowestoft, Suffolk

Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft – Works with Children on Mural

Halesworth Gallery

1997

The Minories Art Gallery, Colchester

The Laing National Arts Competition, Raveningham

The Eastern Open, Kings Lynn Arts Centre

St Margaret’s Gallery, Norwich. Works of the Imagination

Chappell Galleries – Christmas show, Essex

1998

Chappell Gallery, Essex – One Man Show Art exhibition,

Lowestoft Library, Lowestoft, Suffolk

The Yoxford Gallery, Yoxford

Cottons Yard Gallery, Yoxford

Halesworth Gallery, Steeple End

Old Stable Gallery, Diss

Raphael Gallery Open Studios – Raphael Gallery

1999

Chappell Gallery, Essex – One Man Exhibition (extended)

The Eastern Open, Kings Lynn – Painting Highly Commended

Open Studios, Lowestoft, Suffolk

British Artists – The Jarvis Centre, New York Art Expo 99, New York City, America

Work exhibited in Holland

Lowestoft Town Hall, the Council Chambers, Lowestoft Suffolk

Suffolk Open Studios, Lowestoft, Suffolk

The Red Dot Gallery, Ipswich, Suffolk

Artists Gallery, Electric House, Ipswich

2000

The Eastern Open – Kings Lynn

Open Studios, Lowestoft, Suffolk

Halesworth Gallery

Yoxford Gallery, Yoxford

Electric House Gallery, Ipswich

Buckingham Galleries, Southwold – Summer & Christmas Show

The Affordable Art Fair, London

Galerie de Vis Noorderhaven, Holland

The Discerning Eye – The Mall Galleries, London

Geneva Gallery – Lowestoft, Suffolk

2001

Galerie de Vis Noorderhaven, Holland

Gissing Hall, Gissing ‘Portrait Works’

The Open Studios, Lowestoft, Suffolk

Blackthorpe Barn, Roughman

The New Wosley Theatre, Ipswich

The John Russell Gallery, Ipswich

2003

Cork Street Gallery,London

Galleriart – Kirkcudbright, Scotland

Williamsburg Historical Art Centre, New York, America

2004

Open Studios, Lowestoft, Suffolk

2005

Ferini Art Gallery – Original Drawings and Paintings for the Book The Iron Bridge by John Ward

The Warehouse – Lowestoft, Suffolk – Summer Show

The Forum, Norwich Norwich Market

The Open Studios, Lowestoft, Suffolk

The Eastern Open -Kings Lynn

2008

Norwich Castle Museum Open Art Show. A Portrait of Big Jon and the Bubblegum God’s

Christmas Open Studios, Lowestoft, Suffolk

The Cut Halesworth – Original Drawings and Paintings for the Poem The Iron Bridge, by John Ward.

Ferini Art Gallery – Three-man show

The Cut Halesworth – Christmas Art Show, a Prize Winner of ‘The People’s Choice‘

2010

Ferini Art Gallery: Christmas Show & Eastern Open Kings Lynn

2011

Assembly House Art Show 2011: Flying Colours Fascinating Forms, Painting Exhibited The Fish Stall – In Memory

Norwich Castle Museum – Open Art Show 2011: A Portrait of Big Jon and The Bubblegum Gods

Norwich Playhouse Two man Show- Peter Rodulfo and Mark Burrell

Ferini Art Gallery: Summer Show

2012

West Halls Secret Postcard Auction: Patron, Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cambridge.

Others Exhibitors included the Prime Minister David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Twiggy, Maggi Hambling, Bernard Hill, Tessa Newcomb

2013

Assembly House Art Show: Arts Alive Norwich, Norfolk

2014

Ferini Art Gallery Pakefield - One-Man Show December 2014

Suffolk Open Studios June 2014

Ferini Art Gallery Pakefield – Artist in situ and also showing as part of the SOS East Anglian Art Trail

The Coconut Loft Cafe and Art Gallery – Lowestoft Suffolk

Great Yarmouth Library – Two Man Show with Peter Rodulfo

2015

Craft Co, Southwold, Suffolk 4th -28th September

Links

'Masks and Layers' a portrait of Mark Burrell by Ferini Films

Mark Burrell Art - Home Page

Mark Burrell: North Sea Magical Realist artist extraordinaire

References

1. East Anglian Daily Times December 2000
2. Images Magazine 1990 by Tony Collins, Head of School of Art and Design, Lowestoft College, Suffolk
3. Eastern Daily Press, Arts Review
4. Wilde Contemporary Art, The Mall Galleries, London