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| CONQUEST OF OPTIMISM – 1985 – Oil on Board – 1600 x 1180 mm Private Collection, New Zealand |
| DOLPHIN – 1994 – Oil on Board – 90 x 60 cm |
| Ancient Habitat: Oil on Canvas, 137 x 84 cm |
| Leaf Gatherers in the Season of Entropy: Detail |
| Devolution: Oil on Canvas, 91 x 61 cm |
| Youth and Entropy: Oil on Canvas, 122 x 61 cm |
Born in Auckland in 1955, Mark Cross began making art during his mid teens. At
the age of 23 he moved with his family to his wife’s village, Liku, on the island
of Niue and it was during these early years that a strong philosophic and
stylistic foundation was established for his career as an Artist. There was
disillusionment with the institutional oriented nature of the art scene in
New Zealand and the isolation provided both the inspiration and lack of
distraction needed to develop his work in an individualistic way.
the age of 23 he moved with his family to his wife’s village, Liku, on the island
of Niue and it was during these early years that a strong philosophic and
stylistic foundation was established for his career as an Artist. There was
disillusionment with the institutional oriented nature of the art scene in
New Zealand and the isolation provided both the inspiration and lack of
distraction needed to develop his work in an individualistic way.
Having achieved this he returned to New Zealand in 1982 in order to find a
market for his work and since then he has developed a reputation as one of
the South Pacific’s leading realist Artists. Cross now divides his time between
studios in Niue and New Zealand and although the work is very specific in it’s
detail, reference to these countries is restricted to the use of local
elements for the creation of a timeless, lateral world where his figures act
out and question the foibles of humanity but never try to proffer answers.
market for his work and since then he has developed a reputation as one of
the South Pacific’s leading realist Artists. Cross now divides his time between
studios in Niue and New Zealand and although the work is very specific in it’s
detail, reference to these countries is restricted to the use of local
elements for the creation of a timeless, lateral world where his figures act
out and question the foibles of humanity but never try to proffer answers.
The linear perspective of history has been replaced by a cyclical
understanding of time, an understanding that the Artist has achieved by his
closeness to nature while in Niue. Cross’s figures are totally integrated with
the landscape and there’s never a feeling that nature is dominated by human
kind. This is the basis of a complex philosophy that the Artist transfers into
his images and in their ethereal, visionary way the works warn of the dire
ecological imperatives that face both a small island and a planet.
understanding of time, an understanding that the Artist has achieved by his
closeness to nature while in Niue. Cross’s figures are totally integrated with
the landscape and there’s never a feeling that nature is dominated by human
kind. This is the basis of a complex philosophy that the Artist transfers into
his images and in their ethereal, visionary way the works warn of the dire
ecological imperatives that face both a small island and a planet.
Mark Cross has achieved through his work a uniqueness that avoids the
trappings of regionalism, so often associated with realism, and replaces them
with an acutely perceptive worldview. During the nineties however the artist
has ventured into other areas of art production with the establishment of a
sculpture park in the rain forest in the east of Niue. A collaboration with his
wife and several other artists, crafts people and musicians saw the creation
of the Shrine to Abundance, an installation inside a shipping container that
toured Australia, New Zealand and went to Rarotonga more recently. His
paintings however are his main focus and are to be found in many private and
corporate collections in Australasia, America and Europe.
trappings of regionalism, so often associated with realism, and replaces them
with an acutely perceptive worldview. During the nineties however the artist
has ventured into other areas of art production with the establishment of a
sculpture park in the rain forest in the east of Niue. A collaboration with his
wife and several other artists, crafts people and musicians saw the creation
of the Shrine to Abundance, an installation inside a shipping container that
toured Australia, New Zealand and went to Rarotonga more recently. His
paintings however are his main focus and are to be found in many private and
corporate collections in Australasia, America and Europe.
| Aqualibrium: 2002, Oil on Canvas, 91 x 66 cm Private Collection, New Zealand |
| Ray Flight; 2008, Oil on Canvas, 110 x 71 cm Corporate Collection New Zealand |