Mark Ruchlewicz
Mark Ruchlewicz creates paintings about our world; its magnificence, its destructiveness, and its inherent challenges, in a way that speaks to the wider audience.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Mark Ruchlewicz was born in Toronto. He fell in love with drawing and painting at an early age. Growing up he could often be found drawing on the reverse side of his father’s large architectural plans.
Following his passion for art, Mark studied visual fine arts and education at York University, graduating in 1984. He then began participating in art exhibitions and has been in galleries and exhibitions throughout the GTA ever since.
He enjoyed a career teaching art at the high school level for 30 years, primarily at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts until he retired in 2014. Back in the early 90’s Mark made some of his paintings available for commercial purposes through stock image companies (The Image Bank and SuperStock) which marketed his work around the world.
Reflecting on his body of work to date, it can roughly be divided into several different series. These range quite a bit in terms of subject matter, style, media and size. Many of his works centred around environmental themes utilize a hard-edge technique.
Surrealist and symbolic elements dominate more recent paintings in which the “worker’s” challenges are the main theme. These are completed using an underpainting and impasto technique. Mark has also adopted a curved surface for another series which explores the night sky.
Different again, his latest painting measures 8 feet by 32 feet and is a profile rendering of a life-size Abrams tank. Upon closer inspection, logos from the Military Industrial Complex that have been embedded upon the tank's image are revealed.
Titled “Low Visibility” this piece examines the connection between capitalism and war.
By and large, his work is primarily painted using acrylics in a representational style. “I enjoy working in this style because I prefer attempting to reach the non-artist and believe this type of imagery is more suitable for this aim.”
Mark continues to be inspired to paint about the world, its good, bad, and all its challenges, in a way that engages this wider audience.
Studio 13
For 2024 Mark will be welcoming guests to view his work and that of his guest artists Sarah Farndon-Choi and Tania Caryi at his home studio/gallery in the heart of Uxbridge.
To purchase a piece of Mark's work, or to discuss a commission piece, please contact Mark by email or by giving him a call.
Studio 13 - 20 Nelkydd Lane, Uxbridge, ON
