Marcus Halstead

2nd Years

Marcus’ paintings seek to challenge perceptions of identity in the internet age. Using the absurd and doing so with colour, scale and symbolism, he explores how these themes relate to our current interpersonal and socio-political climate.

Through painting he brings these ideas into a real space, he aims for their simplicity and emotiveness to create a dialogue with the viewer.

By cartoonishly portraying objects like stuffed animals or ornaments and recontextualising them, Marcus expresses themes familiar to a generation raised online to highlight the discrepancies that cause escapism. He discusses our relationships with technology, the past, power, play and how these become the basis for broader issues that create polarisation.

His paintings are characterised by expressiveness, scale, colour and symbolism. They’re a cacophony of different styles, taking inspiration from art history, British culture, cartoons and children’s drawings, balancing both play and meaning for the viewer. Marcus explores socio-political themes, widening their bracket to allow for a level of relatability and personality, and applying the use of custodial aesthetics to achieve this within his work.