Mark Farrelly is an artist whose work is receiving increasing recognition: in 2009 he was selected as a semi-finalist in the prestigious national Moran Photographic Prize and was a prize winner in the Williamstown Festival Contemporary Art Prize.

His work, which he has exhibited regularly in Melbourne, is a unique blend of photography and painting. His current technique results in textured photo-based artworks that seem to have a life beyond the two-dimensional. The pieces begin as archival-quality pigment prints which are then mounted onto wood. The image is extended using acrylic paint and then sealed with shellac and glaze. Each piece is a one-off that cannot be reproduced and all materials used ensure longevity.

Influenced by artists such as the Starn Twins, Farrelly is interested in pushing the boundaries of photography technically and physically. The work is not ‘perfect’ – multiple prints from a single image as the photographs are often cut and collaged together. Digital technology gives the photographer greater control over the content of the image. Like a painter, Farrelly is able to create an image that represents his feelings and world view, rather than using the camera to merely document. The use of paint further blurs the line between the real and imagined worlds as the image extends beyond the edge of the photograph.

Thematically, in the last few years Farrelly has explored the individual’s place in the world, portraying subjects in their private environments. Farrelly works to create an intimate relationship between the viewer and his subjects. Like windows, the pictures allow glimpses into private worlds, and the viewer is invited to imagine how the story continues.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 Jackman Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne - Halycon Days
2009 Williamstown Festival Award, Melbourne - Finalist
2008 Jackman Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne - Architecture of Light
2007 Jackman Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne - Private Lives
2007 Williamstown Art Prize - Finalist
2006 Jackman Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne - Interiors
2004 Hermon & Hermon, Richmond
2003 Dante's Gallery, Fitzroy - Quiet spaces
2000 Roar Gallery, Fitzroy - Behold the Moment
1998 Vivid image Gallery, Fitzroy
1997 Roar Gallery - Three for all
1997 CCP Summer Salon exhibition
1997 Daimaru Gallery, Melbourne - Chimerical Vistas
1996 Spleen Gallery, Melbourne - Vespers
1996 Convent Gallery, Daylesford
1996 Gary McEwan Gallery, St Kilda Group Exhibitions
1995 RMIT Graduate exhibition
1995 The lounge, Melbourne Fringe Festival
1993 RMIT Group Exhibition
1992 Bright Bay Technical College, Graduate exhibition

AWARDS
2009 Williamstown Festival Contempory Art Prize - Highly Commended
2009 Moran Photographic Prize - Semi Finalist
1997 Marylands House Portraiture Competition - Second prize
1997 Kino/Smoke Competition: Street scapes of Melbourne - Finalist
1996 Cafe Provincial Photography - Winner (Published in calendar)
1995 Melbourne Town Hall, Images of Melbourne - First prize photography

A DAY AT THE BEACH