Press Reports
Maltese Art In Israel Through Local Artist Marco Brown
Monday, 15 January, 2007
Maltese artist Marco Brown has yet again presented one of his artworks at the annual Bank Hapoalim artists auction in Tel Aviv, Israel. Last year, for the first time ever, he was selected as a Maltese artist to take part in the high profile art ehibition, the proceeds of which are sent to organisations which develop research techniques against AIDS.
His participation did not go unnoticed and he was asked to donate another piece for this year's show which was held at the bank's headquarters in the city over the past weekend. The piece chosen is entitled "Tears" representing tears of joy, sadness and relief all intermingled and reflected in the ebbing tides.
Marco has been living in Israel since summer 2006 where he has been busy with art projects and intensive Hebrew studies. Since his arrival he has participated in three exhibitions and has made it a point to speak about the local Maltese arts scene which is still relatively unknown in Israel. This has had a lot of positive feedback and he has received a number of expressions of interest.
He is currently working on organising a fair of Maltese arts in Tel Aviv this coming summer and is looking for interested partners within the Maltese arts community
Arti u Kultura
Artist Malti f' Tel Aviv
aħbarijietdotcom • 20/01/2006 10:15:05
Artist Malti Marco Brown din il-ġimgħa ser jipparteċipa f'wieħed mill-akbar avvenimenti għall-karita' ġewwa Iżrael. Kull sena l-ikbar bank fl-Iżreal, il-Bank Haoalim jorganizza rkant ta' xogħolijiet ta' arti ġewwa Tel Aviv fejn il-profitti minn din l-attivita' imorru għall-organizzazjonijiet madwar il-pajjiż li jaħdmu ma' dawk li jbatu bl-AIDS.
Għall-ewwel darba, artist Malti kien mistieden biex jipparteċipa f'dan l-avveniment kbir. Artisti stabbiliti minn madwar id-dinja kollha kienu mistiedna idaħħlu xogħolijiet minn tagħhom għas-selezzjoni li saret madwar xahrejn ilu fejn ix-xogħol ta' Marco Brown, 'Wave in the Desert Sand' (ritratt) ġiet magħżula u ser tiġi rkantata fl-20 ta' Jannar fil-kwartieri ġenerali tal-bank u li l-irkant tagħha ser jibda minn $600.
Din mhux l-ewwel darba li Marco Brown ħa sehem f'attivitajiet simili madwar id-dinja. Is-sena li għaddiet rat lil Marco Brown jiġi mistieden joffri tlett biċċiet xogħol lill-organizzazjoni ta' karita ġewwa Beijing fiċ-Ċina.
Marco Brown qal li jinsab ħerqan sabhiex jiltaqa' mal-udjenza iżreaeljana biex jispjega dwar ix-xena artistika li għandna hawn Malta. Hu jixtieq li jsir iktar skambju fil-kamp kulturali bejn iż-żewġ pajjiżi.
Bħalissa Marco qed jgħix fir-Renju Unit fejn qed jipprepara għall-esibizzjoni personali tiegħhu li ser issir waqt żmien il-Għid. It-tema ta' din l-esebizzjoni hija; 'A Journey Through the Middle Sea'. L-artist jinsab ukoll impenjat b' xogħolijiet ġodda li qiegħdin jiġu esibiti f'Moska.
Lokalment xi xogħolijiet ta' Marco Brown qegħdin esibiti ġewwa Muska Gallery f'Ħal Balzan u wieħed jista' wkoll jara x-xogħolijiet tiegħhu fuq il-wesite personali tiegħhu http://www.marcoart.co.uk.
Marco Brown to Take Part in Charity Auction in Tel Aviv.
ARTIST MARCO BROWN IN CHARITY EVENT IN TEL AVIV
Local abstract artist Marco Brown is to set off for Tel Aviv this week to participate in one of the largest charity events held in Israel and his expectations are high.Each year Israel's major bank,Bank Hapoalim,organises an arts auction, the profits of which are given to AIDS relief charities throughout the country.
For the first time ever a Maltese artist has been invited to partake in the event and Marco says that he is delighted to represent Malta.Established artists are invited to submit quality entries in advance to the organisers and of the three he presented two months ago,his work" Wave in the Desert Sands " was selected and will be auctioned on 20th January at the bank's headquarters at a reserve price of $600.
Marco is pleased that this particular piece was chosen since,in his view, it represents a wave of fresh hope in stagnant surroundings and he finds this most appropriate in view of the cause, which is something close to his heart and he is very pleased to be doing "a little bit in the fight against this terrible disease".He even wonders if such an event could not take place in Malta in the future.
Indeed,this is not the first time that Marco has been involved in charity projects abroad.Last year he was invited to donate three pieces to a charity organisation for the protection of endangered birds, in Beijing,China.
He is looking forward to speaking to the Israeli audience about the exciting and diversified arts scene which we have here in Malta ,in the hope that closer cultural exchanges will soon take place between our two countries .
Currently Marco is based in the United Kingdom where he is active preparing for his latest exhibition due to take place at Easter.The theme of the exhibition is "A Journey Through the Middle Sea" and he is hoping that the response will be just as positive as the last time he exhibited in the country.Further to this he is also busy with new creations for his ongoing exhibition in Moscow.
All in all it looks like a creative and busy start to the year for the artist from Ta' Xbiex but as he says hopefully it will not be too long before he returns to our shores again.
Locally, Marco's work is on exclusive display at the Muska Gallery in Balzan and as usual his work can be seen at his website at http://www.marcoart.co.uk
MARCO MARVELS IN MOSCOW
July saw the arrival of contemporary abstract artist Marco Brown in
Moscow where he was busy promoting his art and his website. For a long
time he had been dreaming of coming to our city and at last he finally
made it not only seeing the wonderful sites which Moscow has to offer, but also participating as a special guest and a juror in the annual Russian contest "Mini Miss and Mini Mr. Russia 2005" which was organized by the agency Russian beauty" www.krasavitsa.ru
Further to this he also had the pleasure of meeting the famous Djouna
who, impressed by his energetic, dynamic style offered to display some
of his artwork in her new gallery at Arbat Street to be opened in
September. More success was to follow at the "Altaina" Wellness Centre in Fili where another selection of paintings is now on display with a view to further additions at the end of the autumn when he hopes to return .
ART AND SOUL
Art & Soul
UK born Marco Brown developed an interest in the world of art at an early age. After completing his studies, and having spent nine years in Paris furthering his artistic talent, he is presently based in Malta and currently participating amongst other artists in STRADA - the Wine & Arts Festival happening in Valletta this week. Erika Brincat catches up with him.
Having lived in the U.K., Scotland, Belgium and France, what actually brought you back to the island of your roots after such a long absence, and with the perspective of having spent time away, do you see any positive change happening here?
Having spent such a long time in the north of Europe in the big city environment I felt more and more attracted to the idea of being in the south after turning thirty. Malta was an obvious choice owing to my Maltese roots and the fact that I had always spent so much time here prior to my relocation in 2000. The notion of taking part in the rat race and keeping up with the Jones’s had never appealed to me and I longed for a basic holistic Mediterranean lifestyle, and this is something which I believe I have achieved here on the whole. Being in Malta has been particularly positive so far and I look forward to the beneficial aspects of being members of the EU yet maintaining our Mediterranean values.
What are the main difficulties an artist may be faced with on the island?
On the one hand I find it very stimulating that there is such a diversity of art here in Malta however on the other it has to be said that the market is flooded, even possibly saturated and people can be confused about what true art is. In a nation as small as ours there are not enough galleries or workshops for artists to work or display in and I am very disappointed in the lack of funding compared to funding programmes in other EU states. Even sponsorship on a private basis is very difficult to obtain here due to an increase in demand. I have recently had to cancel an exhibition due to lack of sponsorship, which I feel most saddened by. One thing that does enrage me is to see how foreign artists are being employed to make copies of original paintings and these people are making sales and are being given promotion whereas local artists are being neglected.
My first impression upon meeting you was your passion for colour – describe to us the colours chosen for your living space and what these colours express.
My whole universe is based on colour and I thrive when surrounded by bright shades and tones. At home and in my workroom I am surrounded by warm yellow and mustard tones which go hand in hand with rich inviting Bordeaux reds. I believe that certain colours convey real energy and as an artist I am particularly sensitive to my environment. If I do not feel comfortable in a given place I cannot be myself never mind be creative. Yellow and red do have a particularly uplifting effect on me after all I am a fire sign!
Are there any recurrent themes behind your latest exhibitions and work, and any new ideas for your forthcoming ones?
My work is greatly influenced by the typically Mediterranean colours I feel most comfortable with and so far an idea of semi abstract combined with mysticism has predominated. However now I do feel that I am moving away slightly from the general Mediterranean perspective and seem to be focusing more on the Maltese. My latest works have been based on the Temples and the ancient goddesses. I suppose that my love of legends and mysticism is still there but just more focused at home for the time being. Next month I will be exhibiting in Moscow, and in Israel towards the end of the year so I think that subconsciously I would like to present something more typically Maltese to the foreign public.
How do you draw inspiration from Mysticism and in which ways do you equate Art with Spirituality?
Well in mysticism there are things that are simply felt and experienced yet cannot be understood or explained in human terms. Art in my opinion is the same and in the case of abstract art the mind should be analyzing the image not the eye. It’s all about feeling and putting things down to experience. Certain images throw us back to personal experiences in the past, be they positive or less uplifting. Just as for some inexplicable reason we can have a sense of déjà vu or feeling at one with a stranger or a new place, this can happen through art as much for the viewer admiring a canvas as for the artist who is at one with it while on the journey of creation.
Your paintings have been described as an eclectic fusion of middle-eastern elements smoothly blended with your love of the Mediterranean and the enchanting world of mythology and superstition. Which myths and legends resonate the most with you?
All of the legends of the Mediterranean basin have a lot in common. Indeed only the place names and the names of characters change. This is what I feel is so unique and beautiful about Mediterranean culture. Just as in its colours the whole Mediterranean, when you take the time to think about means Middle of the Earth, and it is just that - vibrant, creative, imaginative and captivating. Those myths and legends that have been invented so long ago have withstood the test of time and remain as colourful now as they did then. I would certainly say that the best storytellers in the world come from this part of the world and there isn’t one particular tale that resonates most with me although I do have a weakness for the Tales of 1001 Nights.
Your work is fueled by intense emotions - would you say it is love, pain, joy, or simply the desire to communicate and share which give you the most drive?
A cocktail of all these. Sometimes I can combine several emotions too as I did in ‘Neshama’ and ‘Passion’ last spring.
If you had to select your favorite paintings - the ones you are most reluctant to sell, which are they and why?
So far it has always been ‘Carnival Kiss to an Angel’. I just loved painting that piece and I am used to living with it looking at me in the living room. However now that I have just finished the ‘Maltese Goddess of Fertility’ I would definitely go for that, one because of the beautiful forms and colours and the incorporation of more gold than usual, which is a new step for me and two because every time I pass it I think of a special woman and a special prayer.
Where can we see your work displayed at the moment in Malta and overseas?
There is a current exhibition of my work at the San Antonio Accor Hotel in Bugibba which started a fortnight ago. In the framework of the Malta International Arts Biennale there are also pieces at REMPEC at Manoel Island and at the Mediterranean Conference Centre until the end of the summer. In August after my return from my upcoming show in Moscow, several pieces of my work will also be on display in a joint exhibition at Cleland and Souchet at Portomaso.
In July and August I will also be participating in joint exhibitions with my friends and fellow artists at the Royal Malta Yacht Marina Club at Manoel Island that I am particularly excited about. My own work will be on show alongside fellow painters Mary Zammit and Jennifer Lonfat and the sculptor Antoine Farrugia.
Jennifer and I will also be participating in the STRADA Arts and Wine Festival in Valletta with several other artists on the first and second of July that is certainly going to be a unique experience. It is about time we had a real arts festival in the capital and thanks to private individuals it is about to take place. So it’s quite a busy summer ahead in terms of exhibitions at home and abroad.
Given the opportunity to change three things about Malta which would they be?
More funding and sponsorship programmes for artists.
A massive once and for all clean up of our countryside cities and sea and a heavy tax imposed on those who pollute Mother Earth.
Cheaper airfares!!!!!!
Projecting anything for the future?
In October I hope we will be staging a festival of contemporary Israeli art the preparation of which is currently in the pipeline. By inviting several artists to Malta we hope to promote a more positive image of what is taking place in Israel today. Should any readers like further information or would like to take part in this project then I would like to hear from you at my website www.marcoart.co.uk. I would really like to take a little time off on the continent and think about the next stage but no real concrete plans for the time being. Time will tell.
Marco meets Dr Shai Cohen
Marco Brown offers a painting of a dove - symbol of peace - to Dr Shai Cohen, Israeli Counsellor for External Relations after his address to the Malta Friends of Israel Association on 18th April 2005
Mediterranean emotions unveiled
You can feel the energy, the light and soul of a person right upon meeting them and that is the feeling I got when I met Marco recently, fresh from his travels and enwrapped in a colourful surge of burning inspiration.
His latest exhibition, entitled Fire and the Phoenix has recently been launched at Juuls wine bar, breathing a wonderful aura of life and beautifully complementing the sweet aura of springtime. It was a celebration of new art, warm vibes, interesting people and captivating waves of admiration- all sentiments washed down by gushes of crisp, South African sauvignon blanc and an interesting mélange of cheerful conversation. This event marked the artist's return to the local scene, after almost a year's absence from the island, representing a stunning collection of 18 new pieces, reminiscent to the notion of rebirth and creative energy flow.
The artist's pieces are a reflection in abstract form of his personal voyage, an eclectic fusion of middle-eastern elements, smoothly blended with his love for the Mediterranean and the enchanting world of mythology and superstition. His art is bold and textured, exuding a sense of fire, earth and water.
In his Bamboo, the artist caresses the heart with a vivid expression of all these sensations brought together, and in his exquisite rendition of Lejla Maltija (Maltese Evening) which treats the eye to a serene backdrop of Mediterranean beauty- fresh yet familiar, charming and intensely evocative.
The abstracts all feature in oil and acrylics on canvas, the colours being predominantly blues, merging with sparkling accents of gold and earth hues. The prevalent, fiery tones of red and orange are connected to the rise of the phoenix from the fire in which it is burning, only to get stronger, in the form of a new renaissance.
"The colours represent a deeply rooted relationship between myself and each of the paintings. They signify warmth, love, passion, acceptance, involvement, the feeling of being welcomed and accepted in this universe. These are all the things that bring me harmony."
And judging from the glow in his eyes, I can tell, he has found all that- it just shines from within.
In the coming months, Marco's paintings will be making their own distinctive statements outside our Maltese shores. He has donated three pieces of work to the Beijing Arts and Culture Association, where his art will feature in an international exhibition themed on the protection of birds, a subject that is close to his heart. Marco's work will also be exhibited at Gallery Mori in Scotland, the Frap Museum in Paris, and given that the art scene in Tel Aviv is beautifully explosive, he will be displaying his works in Israel's Gallery 33.
"It's an honour to be invited to participate there; naturally exhibiting abroad as a Maltese artist is always a great and uplifting experience. It gives me the opportunity of having more exposure, seeing new people and places. I am proud to play a small part in all this, since I believe that there is a very exciting and diverse art culture on our island and we have a lot to show our neighbours."
UK-born and bred, Marco has lived in Paris, Germany, Belgium and Malta. He finds deep inspiration in all the beauty that surrounds him. With an exciting array of world travels to Israel, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey to mention a few, the colours, the people and the way of life all translate into spontaneous bursts of emotion he wants to share with others through his art. "There is a drive within me that forces me to make the movement, to communicate all that cannot be expressed simply with words. Emotions that need to be given colour and come to life, like a vivid appreciation of that particular moment in time. I want to capture that, so I paint profusely, until I can't stop- until my passions are sated."
Marco's pieces exude a charming sense of character, a fusion of art created through his own life experiences and the unexplored. They communicate a positive, energetic language that embraces his heart and soul with a myriad of inspiration, merged with a delicate touch of novelty eagerly waiting to be discovered.
- Fire and the Phoenix is at Juuls wine bar in St Julians from Tuesdays to Sundays after 8.30 p.m. until April 30. His paintings will next month be displayed in a permanent gallery namely at Marcoart, Rue D'Argens, Gzira.
Rising From the Ashes
Energy, passion, fire - the essential elements of MARCO BROWN'S work, on display at Juuls wine bar in St.Julian's from 3 April. Interview by Camille Choteau.
If there was an official theme behind Marco Brown's recent work, it would probably be "revival". However, "enthusiasm"would also work. He was certainly enthusiastic when talking about his forthcoming exhibition to Gallarija...
Like his paintings, Marco too seemed to be full of energy and made a sort of parallel between his state of mind and the colours the audience can admire in his new works. The paintings are full of fiery colours, red and oranges are more present than usual in his contemporary abstract creation. Marco was quite surprised by the result of his work. He thought his exhibition was going to be morose black, full of negativity and even morbid, because he had just overcome personal problems. He suspected he had lost his talent and was wondering if he would ever be able to paint again. The positive aspect of the exhibition, which deals with passion, rebuilding and rebirth was not expected. The phoenix is an important element of the exhibition: as Marco said, it corresponds completely with what he is experimenting in life. He had to restart; he needed a new energy, a new way of creating.
Marco also attributes the theme of fire and the phoenix to the fact that he is always linked to fire in his life. He said he is a Sagittarian, which is a fire sign, and even if he is not a horoscope fanatic, he thinks there might be something determinant in it.
It is always a pleasure to meet artists like Marco Brown who are really happy with their art, and know how to talk about it. The most difficult question to answer for an artist is to define his art and Marco answered it quite quickly. He said it was very abstract, alive and full of movement. He added that it belonged to what is called contemporary art, and insisted on the free flow, which is easily perceived in his works....
Marco also talked about his international projects. He is going to exhibit in China with the Beijing National Cultural Society. He has donated three of his paintings on the theme of birds and the funds will be distributed to a bird protection society. He also wants to work in Paris in the springtime, and he is looking forward to exhibiting in Tel Aviv next November.
A lot of projects are on Marco's mind, but while he is in Malta, you may enjoy his work and a good drink at Juuls from 3 April onwards.
Promotional Video
A promotional videos have been made to showcase Marco's artwork. Samples have been distributed on compact disc, and a special online version has been made available.
Click here to view an extract of the video
Pre-exhibition Cocktail Party
Honourable Minister Francis Zammit Dimech, the minister of Culture opened Marco's pre exhibition cocktail party and delivered the opening speech at Christophers Restaurant, Ta Xbiex, Malta on 19th July 2004.
Details of the event have been published by the local press, where further information can be found.
Travel Made Easel
Marco was born in the UK yet spends most of his time between Scotland, France and Malta. Mind you, it's not about holidays. Holidays are going going but gone nowhere, sunny promises that leave you cold in the wake of attractions already discovered and packaged by average tour operators. Marco's paintings are about travel, that walking and discovering things by accident, a mental torment in the right sense.
The full colour arrangement of most of Marco's work shows full throated reds, blues and yellows. Matador and Snake Charmer don't look sideways at you, but glare with yellows, reds and orange that throb with a luminous DNA. His browns aren't teddy-bear furry but, as in Bamboo, they expand to suggest the entire space and beyond of a painting. A few lines and dashes are enough to delineate the figurative, in Les Sirenes, or structural, in Lejla Maltija.
Indeed, so much is made of so little. Marco's paintings are simple yet effective, like a perfectly funny one-liner. Yet so little is always so much. Lines are never straight-jacketed in rigid geometry but like Maltese sausage on the barbecue, crackle and snap. Colour is a gorgeous movement that gets most of everything right in the relationship between the proportions and the hues. In combination, straight line movements and deviations or a solitary dash of intoxicating colour manage to fully portray the passion of Northern Lights, love in Lovebirds, joy in Carnival Kiss to an Angel, life in Festa and death in Matador. Indeed, Marco's paintings are a perfect salad that achieves sensual uplift with nothing more than the crisp raw materials, excellently combined.