Marcus Cain
Marcus Cain’s breathtaking tapestry of lines, texture, movement, and depth invites us to explore possibilities beyond human physical sight. His work challenges our perception of the way we view images in our world. The bold applications of color and emergent patterns compel our eyes to register everything that is jumping out at us at once. Cain’s paintings suggest that the possibilities of the universe are endless when we focus our attention on the present moment we are experiencing rather than the end or beginning.
Cain’s innovative methods of painting are what make his work a combination of curiosity, perplexity, and wonder. His authentic brush strokes, which are more repetitive stamp gestures than strokes, give us a sense of the kind of artist he truly is.
Inside his studio is a unique row of what appears to be recycled hand towels, once used to clean his tools, hanging as inventive art pieces. His paintbrushes stand in a jar dry and clean as opposed to the ends of the brushes where the wooden tips appear alive, stained, used, and worn. In a similar jar lies a variety of wooden sculpting tools typically used for ceramics. It is no surprise Cain uses these same wooden tools to assist him in his distinctive stamping technique. His methods of painting are a direct reflection of his personality and tenacious foundation.
Each piece opens up a phenomenal conversation with the senses. When you sit with his canvases, you automatically submerge yourself into a captivating dimension free from form or rules. His vibrant colors capture life, memories of life, and the love of life itself. Cain’s strategic stitches and lines create fragments, allowing shadows to co-exist in an oasis of discovery and exploration. It is tempting to get lost in the stunning spaces where color and pattern meet.
Cooling days is a wonderful example of lines that are free from form – displaying a brilliant dance of layered hues. The cascading compositional patterns in this work serve as both nouns and verbs leaving the viewer open to roam their imagination. The lines do not make out words we are accustomed to reading on billboards, nor hashtags we can identify through social media. Each stitch tells a chapter of a story, drawing us closer to embracing a quiet moment in an ever-growing fast-paced Information Age world.
His diamond-like arrangement, I am what is around me, captivates us to take a closer look between the densities of overlapping pigments. We discover a beautiful rhythmic pattern of movement among the ambiguous, creating a dual sensation of transcendent solitude and a greater connection to all humanity. Cain’s vigorously repetitive stamped dots and lines welcome us to immerse ourselves in the freedom of unknowing. His artwork creates a dynamic atmosphere of spiritual awareness inspiring us to look beyond our existence.
– Jessica Ayala