2022 > Mark Duffy - "I'd Prefer Humanity" March 4th, 2022 - April 30th, 2022

FM Oakland is pleased to announce an exhibition of new oil paintings by Mark Duffy. For his first solo show with the gallery the artist has created a body of work representative of his emphasis on artistic process. He made these paintings during an intense period of creative effort starting in early 2020 by working intuitively and spontaneously from his surroundings, careful to not allow conceptual ideas to overtake the basic expressive impulse that he believes is in all of us. Pulling from a variety of sources including film, photography, art historical references, journalism, and found objects, Duffy synthesized a variety of visual information to create deeply personal narratives reflective of American society at the start of this decade. To accompany the work in "I'd Prefer Humanity" the artist has created a series of mixed-media woodblock "posters" and an assemblage of found photographs. For the artist, "I'd Prefer Humanity" is primarily meant to provide viewers with a jarring aesthetic experience or feeling that is hard to express verbally. However, despite an approach that does not have a pre-defined concept, he says "a sort of ideological riddle within an atmosphere of pessimistic hope" emerged from the process nonetheless. The gallery will host an opening reception on Friday, March 4, 2022 from 6-9pm at 483 25th St.

"I'd Prefer Humanity" will be up from March 4 through April 30, 2022. The gallery will be open on Saturdays from 1 to 5pm, the first Friday of each month from 6 to 9pm, or by appointment.

Mark Duffy - "I'd Prefer Humanity"
March 4th, 2022 - April 30th, 2022

About the artist:
Mark Duffy is a self-taught painter and photographer. He is motivated by artistic process and the freedom that can be experienced from a consistent studio practice rooted in playfulness, authenticity, and experimentation. His intention is to communicate directly through visual imagery, evoking emotions that are universal.

He has participated in group shows at Book and Job, FM Oakland, Fleet Wood, Showhouse Jay Jay, and SFMOMA Library.

Mark's Instagram