Charlie Mackesy

Return of the Prodigal son - Charlie Mackesy

Forgiven - Charlie Mackesy

During my research I have been able to find out the name of an artist I have been searching for along time. Charlie Mackesy exhibited at the Art Shed, Soul Survivor, many years ago. I asked permission to photograph his paintings, but cleverly lost where I had written his name and the tiles. Mackesy is an artist who was born in 1962 in Northumberland. He has had no professional art training as he never seemed to last more than a couple of weeks at university. Mackesy started off by drawing cartoons and illustrating books, but since 1985 as had over 35 one man exhibitions in Galleries in New York, London and Edinburgh! He does not describe his work as religious, although a reoccurring theme is angels, and he has produced many paintings and sculptures based on the story of the prodigal son from the bible. I think he explains this well...

"I am cautious to explain what I think the work is saying for fear of taking away from you something you have seen and I have not. I could conclude by saying that life is precious and faith is a journey and sometimes art can give a small glimpse of these moments seen, and unseen." - Charlie Mackesy.

The prodigal Son was the first painting I saw of his work, and I was instantly captivated by it. I love how he uses a free and loose style in his paintings, allowing there to be little definition to the embraced figures. This allowed me the chance to elaborate on the image with my imagination, personalising it to my own life, and to become lost in the painting. I like how Mackesy has used the text to form a background, but that the words are also enveloping the figures, making them a vital part rather than just a background and at the same time not over powering or dominating. It has been interesting looking at his catalogue to see the development and variations of the prodigal son, for instance sculptures and adapting the concept to the prodigal daughter. I wonder whether this is for his own experimentation and development, or from the point of view to allow for a better selling ground?