M. Clark

The goal is always to find balance amid the upheaval. But it’s the juxtaposition of the two in a composition––and in life––that keeps things interesting.

––M. Clark, Painter

NYC based artist, M. Clark, creates light-reflecting works that negotiate chaos and order. She manipulates heat and pressure to fix metallic foil onto various surfaces. Each piece is planned and methodically constructed, often over many weeks, but the result of the heat process itself is uncontrollable. This balance of structure and chance is what characterizes Clark’s work––and her view of life and art generally.

Clark's artwork reflects the way her brain works. As a dyslexic, she is more drawn to the textured arc of individual letters than long characters-formed words. She sees each letter moving inside the whole––this broken chaos emerges in the non-representational nature of her work. Her work is abstract, yet intentionally designed to evoke emotion. She cites masters of composition Agnes Martin and Mark Rothko as inspirations, most notably in the way they convey emotional complexity through compositional simplicity. This intention translates to her viewers, who often react with intense emotional specificity. After Clark applies her signature heat and pressure process to a piece, she hangs it on a wall and lets it breathe––closely monitoring how it interacts with light throughout the day, which elements are working and which need work. This process is continued until the piece achieves wholeness.

Clark’s award-winning works can be found in private collections around the world and have been featured in international media and publications. A large collection of her works has also been exhibited in The Smithsonian.