The View on the Arts

If you grew up in the Boston area, you know that there is a local version of the Mason-Dixon Line. This line runs on an east-west bearing through the Prudential Center and has a tradition that dictates that those of us from the south side of town, who feel the need to re-locate, must move south, while denizens of the northern burbs must gravitate towards the top of the map. And even though I lived, for a time in a northwestern suburb (what can I tell you, I have a mixed marriage, I married a northside girl), my trip yesterday up Rte 1A to Marblehead had the feel of venturing into uncharted waters. Revere, Lynn, Nahant (oops, wrong turn), Swampscott and finally onto Marblehead felt a little like following the Yellow Brick Road. But as we drove over the causeway towards achingly-scenic Marblehead Neck, the sun sparkled on the ocean to our right and the impossibly-large number of sailboats in the Harbor off to our left, and I began to realize the spectacular panoramic secrets that those north shore types have been keeping from us provincials.

As part of the ongoing effort at supporting the contention that The View reflects a renaissance outlook, we went up to visit The Labor Day showing of The Evolutions ’07 Art Exhibit, featuring the work of local artists. We had added motivation for this trip, which will become obvious shortly.

Among the seventeen artists exhibiting their work in a wide variety of media, we were intrigued by one particular artist, a young man who, by day, works in the fast-paced world of advertising as an art director for a Boston Ad agency, and who practices his long-time painting avocation in his off hours. Working in oils, he applies an uncanny sense of color and texture to evoke contrasting images of haunting serenity and static energy, an approach that flirts with whimsy against a stark graphic orientation, clearly a metaphor for the constraints of modern life. After viewing his work, you begin to wonder what he might produce if he were to focus all of his many talents on his painting. But, of course, this would come at the expense of his other great passion, that of graphic design. And no reclusive artists he. Mark brings well-honed interpersonal and communications skills to the challenges of client relations, which has made him a man to be reckoned with in the Ad biz. Mark Malloy graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design where his extensive innate abilities were nurtured and developed in the school’s renowned neo-abstract, constructionistic, perspective-obsessed tradition. (okay, your right, I made that last part up). In any case, I encourage you to visit his studio and view some of his work using the highlighted link to the left.

With the cat out of the bag, you now realize that this artist is my son, Mark, whose career I have watched with more than a little interest, long before his talents became widely recognized. Would that I be able to claim some credit for Mark’s talents, but my artistic abilities are sadly lacking. More likely, he inherited his acute color sense and aesthetic incisiveness from his mother’s talented genes. I did, however, note a glimmer of my influence at the art show when I saw the utilitarian, but attractive easels that Mark had constructed to exhibit his work. Hammering nails into boards is something I can relate to.

Several of Mark’s pieces sported “sold” tags yesterday and with the show continuing for another day, it would seem that collectors are slowly warming to the idea of owning an original by Mark. Seeing that I still posses a number of pieces from, shall we say, his early years, perhaps I will someday have the opportunity to contribute to his retrospective.

In the meantime, it’s very rewarding to see someone you love excel at something he loves.