Mark McDean
With an interest in, and practice relating to, the psychological and sociological aspects of dress, Mark McDean forensically deconstructs what was once an ‘accepted’ garment to challenge a dismantling of masculinity. The hesitance of performing the first cut with a remnant of fabric could be compared to the skilful surgeon making the initial intrusion into the body, or the corpse, in an investigative anatomical move. The exo-skeletal outcomes of McDean’s works brings to mind the layered notion of ‘cutting to the bone’, to reveal markings/remembrance of past histories, key life periods and evidence of trauma[s].
The bodily scale of the works, along with a recognition of materials allows the viewer to project a personal narrative onto/into the sculptural outcomes. The viewer’s reading is somewhat swayed by the artist’s deconstructing and/or dismantling the notions of acceptance, appearance, identity and understanding.
“They are not just enveloping the body – they connect with memory, identity, history, ritual, culture, race, sexuality and sensuality. They are about how we relate the realm of subjective experience to the objective world around us. ”
We Love you Mark! Rest easy






