Girgenti Chapel

Following the successful Shape, Colour, Composition, artist and architect Mark Muscat is holding another exhibition, entitled Dispersion: A Fluid Interpretation of Malta.

This exhibition, Muscat says, showcases works from a newer phase in his artistic career.

“The charcoal-based shapes visible in my previous exhibition are now replaced by intricate semi-soluble ink drawings, which then have watercolour applied directly to them, allowing some of the ink to run,” he explains.

In much the same way, Muscat’s credentials as an architect also run on to his art. The paintings illustrate somewhat more of a technical approach to the re-representation of the built environment, which Muscat then abstracts.

Speaking about this idea of abstraction, the artist sustains that this technique engages the viewer to perceive specific elements in the composition while doing away with less important ones.

The idea of reinterpreting rather than re-representing a subject is a key element in Muscat’s recent work.

“I want to evoke the non-photographic rendition of my subjects. With all the photographic hardware available nowadays, I think it is a futile exercise to represent the built or natural environment in such a faithful manner.

“Certain elements from a scene are expanded upon while others are purposely omitted,” Muscat adds.  “The same approach is used with the colours used, which at times do not represent the actual colours of the scene but ones that the scene evokes.”

This concept is by no means a new way of thinking but harks back to early 20th-century fauvists like Henri Matisse or Maurice de Vlaminck. This is where, Muscat maintains, he believes the true artistic expression of the artist comes to the fore.

Ta' Xwieni Salt Pans, Marsalforn, Gozo

Jesuit Church Interior

His latest work suggests a shift from traditional landscape art to a reinterpretation of the traditional topographical painting – one which experiments both with form and colour with its underlying objective being that of bringing out the sensation of a place.

Muscat uses watercolours to achieve such a focus.

“I started experimenting with watercolours about 15 years ago and have always been intrigued by the flexibility the medium offers,” he says.

“Watercolours allow you to experiment with different hues dissolving into each other in a way that few other media allow. The transparency of the medium means that one cannot cover up any mistakes and therefore it is important to plan the work well. This, however, adds a degree of spontaneity to the works. I would say the unpredictability and flexibility of the medium is what I find most appealing.”

Dispersion: A Fluid Interpretation of Malta is open at the University of Malta VallettaCampus until Friday between 8am and 5pm.

Carnival System