August 30-Oct 2, 2011
Opening Reception Friday September 2, 5-8pm

Åarhus Gallery is pleased to have one of their own, Mark Kelly, as their guest artist for the month of September. For years now, Mark has been inspiring, amusing and wowing viewers with his unique sensibilities and at times pointed, maybe ominous observations on the human condition. The partners at Åarhus figured that it was high time they had a partner as a featured artist and it seemed natural for Mark to be the first. This show runs from August 30th through October 2nd, 2011and the public is invited to an opening reception Friday September 2nd, 5-8pm.

He will be showing two separate bodies of work. First, a series of gunpowder drawings, which are made by setting up the gunpowder, like sand-drawings, and lighting them on fire. “What I am trying to do is control these tiny explosions – which is (I realized after starting them) a perfect metaphor for human existence; trying to control the chaos of life after the penultimate explosion…”

The second body of work is a series of fireworks drawings, in which he says he is “…simply experimenting. Laying the works on paper and capturing the results of the explosions. With these I am relinquishing the control I strive for in the other works – allowing the chaos to happen, without my imposition.”

The issue Mark finds himself dealing with in this work is the balance in life between trying to find peace by controlling (to some degree) the chaos, and finding peace by knowing when to let the chaos happen, and appreciating what is there.

Born in Amityville, New York, Mark moved to Boston in 1990, and earned his BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art in 1997. Besides showing regularly as a partner at Åarhus gallery, Mark’s exhibitions include: The 18th Annual Drawing Show at the Boston Center for the Arts/Mills Gallery; The Lincoln Street Center for the Arts 2005 Invitational, Rockland; The Out of Bounds Altered Book Show, Rockport; First Traces, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, ME and The Crossing of Time and Environment: Micro Installation, Tainan County, Taiwan. He lives in Belfast with his wife Michelle and their three daughters.

Showing with Mark will be Åarhusians; Annadeene Fowler, Kevin Johnson, Richard Mann, Abbie Read, Wesley Reddick and Willy Reddick.

Belfast artist experiments with fire
In the Bangor Daily News by Aislinn Sarnacki