Artist Bio
Born in 1974 and raised in Sun Valley, Idaho, Marc Hanselman has always sought inspiration from the natural world. Graduating from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1999 with a Bachelors of Fine Art, Marc returned to the mountains of his youth to pursue a career in Mountain Guiding. After 25 years of guiding all over the world, Marc is pursuing to his creative roots and painting once again. His abstract, colorful paintings are composed of countless layers and under-paintings, revealing a history in texture and edge details. By working within a set of self imposed rules, Marc’s paintings evoke subtle truths and a quiet calm not often found in the modern world. The minimalistic, colorfield works are informed by the late, great Mark Rothko, contemporary master Sean Scully, Zen Buddhism and the infinite wonder of Nature
Artist Statement
In this current work, I’ve transitioned from large scale oil canvases to smaller acrylic paintings on birch panels, mostly due to my small studio space. The new work is an exploration of materials, creating colorful compositions that ring with a meditative quality. Like Shodo, the Japanese art of calligraphy, brush strokes reveal a history, balancing intention vs. letting go. By forgoing the use of tape or masking, I’m continuing to develop a language that defines space, creating presence with texture and color, bouncing between austere and playful palette choices. There is a Zen-like truth in the practice; the creation evident by the process, reinforcing a sense of the handmade.
These simple abstractions, inspired by nature, stand in quiet contrast to the rapid pace and digitization of the modern world.