Mark Garro, “MMXX”
December 12th 2020 – January 10th 2020
December 12th 2020 – January 10th 2020
Haven Gallery is honored to present New York based artist Mark Garro for his first solo show at the gallery titled, “MMXX”. “MMXX” will consist of eighteen paintings featuring Garro’s intense realism and surreal narratives painted with his quintessential trompe l’oeil style. Trompe l’oeil is a French term translated as “trick of the eye” and is a historic technique in art in which painted 2d surfaces give off the impression of three dimensions. In addition to this masterful illusionary technique, Garro creates compositions rich with vivid details, historic properties linked to his upbringing in the 60s, musical motions and graceful homages to the natural world. Garro describes himself as a miniaturist who likes to work big. Each work beholds multiple microcosms nodding to his many influences and passions creating a symphony of sensory opulence.
Garro’s paintings are a feast for both the eye and the mind as one ponders and reflects upon the narratives being portrayed. Motifs such as “as above, so below” are wittily constructed and further enhanced by Garro’s technical abilities, such as such seen with his tromp l’oeil method and machetes sculpted for creating his own models and props. Each detail represents a world within worlds forcing us to question our own sense of place and scale within our own existence.
Garro’s paintings are a feast for both the eye and the mind as one ponders and reflects upon the narratives being portrayed. Motifs such as “as above, so below” are wittily constructed and further enhanced by Garro’s technical abilities, such as such seen with his tromp l’oeil method and machetes sculpted for creating his own models and props. Each detail represents a world within worlds forcing us to question our own sense of place and scale within our own existence.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
After 15 years as a successful Illustrator and cover artist for more than 100 paperbacks in the fantasy genre, Garro has exploded onto the fine art scene, exhibiting his paintings nationally and internationally. His growing collector base eagerly await his next meticulously designed and executed work.
A miniaturist who likes to work big, Garro struggles with this clash of sensibilities all the time in order to be as prolific as possible. The work often features classically beautiful figures as cosmological cogs working within the complex mechanisms of the universe. Dynamic motion of familiar shapes morphing and implying other familiar shapes, creating, destroying and re-creating once again in two dimensions but implying four.
A New York-based, free-lance artist, Mark Garro has assembled a diverse portfolio. After obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration from Syracuse University on a full scholarship, Garro worked in a New York City gallery while building his portfolio. Over the next 20 years Garro illustrated book covers for several wildly successful book series.
Garro incorporates a deep sense of light, color and realism assuming a unique style that sometimes dwells on the dark side. His heavy emphasis on realistic trompe l’oeil techniques puts Mark’s work over the top in terms of space, depth and illusion. His commercial art experience includes cover illustrations for more than 100 popular books and designs for many prestigious clients in the fields of consumer product sales and publishing. In the mid-90’s, he completed book cover illustrations for author R.L. Stine’s “Ghosts of Fear Street” series.
A New York-based, free-lance artist, Mark Garro has assembled a diverse portfolio. After obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration from Syracuse University on a full scholarship, Garro worked in a New York City gallery while building his portfolio. Over the next 20 years Garro illustrated book covers for several wildly successful book series.
Garro incorporates a deep sense of light, color and realism assuming a unique style that sometimes dwells on the dark side. His heavy emphasis on realistic trompe l’oeil techniques puts Mark’s work over the top in terms of space, depth and illusion. His commercial art experience includes cover illustrations for more than 100 popular books and designs for many prestigious clients in the fields of consumer product sales and publishing. In the mid-90’s, he completed book cover illustrations for author R.L. Stine’s “Ghosts of Fear Street” series.
Garro now focuses on fine art projects ranging from a large-scale triptych featuring the imagery of Heaven, Purgatory and Hell, to a museum diorama influenced series of the Four Seasons. In his diminishing spare time, Garro also enjoys painting replicas of Maxfield Parrish original landscapes in miniature and trompe l’oile painting on eggs. A musician and rock-climbing enthusiast, Mark has become a bird and flower fanatic since moving to his Mountain-top home and studio in the Catskills.
