Located at The Fores Project, artist Marcus Nelson inhabits a large room alongside one other painter as artist-in- residence for a month of his summer. Having spent the last year working on his art from home and the year previous in a shared workspace at Central Saint Martins, this is the artist’s first time being based in an independent space that he can access throughout the day and night. Offering him stability and routine, he has found the setup to be very conducive to his creative process. Coming to the studio with studies he has prepared at home, the artist arrives ready to paint directly onto the canvas. Developing new pieces at night, he is energised by cups of coffee and fast-paced songs as he loosens himself up through dance. Pirouetting and floating around his arena like Mohammad Ali, Nelson’s figures reflect his battle-like approach to painting through conversations around ballet and boxing. Cultivating a meditative state, he finds refuge from daily life as he follows a rhythm uninterrupted by breaks. In addition to soviet sculpture, he draws on the oeuvre of Francisco Goya, Paul McCarthy and Philip Guston to inform his practice. At the end of the day, a twenty-minute period of observation allows him to critique his work over a drink, deciding what needs to be added and what should be taken away. Taking off from the energy of those surrounding him, Nelson boards a music fuelled rocket to traverse inner landscapes, tidy arrangements and universal interconnectivity.
