Biography

Marcus Bowcott’s paintings and sculptures often focus on human activity in relation to the natural environment. He sometimes uses irony and humour to remind viewers of our culture’s conflicted relationship to nature and technology.

He studied Drawing, Painting, and Media at the Ontario College of Art in the late 1970’s and later enrolled at the Royal College of Art, graduating with a MA from the RCA School of Painting in 1984. Back then he was primarily concerned with formal aspects of figuration and landscape painting. Over the years the subjects of his paintings shifted from representations of water surfaces and swimmers to paintings of industry, mechanized recreation and the effects of industry on surrounding landscapes. This work often suggests metaphysical reflection. Recently he has been developing paintings and sculptures referencing mass consumer objects such as ‘Art Cars’ stacked on top of columns of old growth trees.

Marcus taught Drawing, Painting, and Colour in Vancouver area Colleges and Universities over a period of 35 years. He encouraged students to question historical and contemporary methods of representation in relation to personal thoughts and feelings. He also encouraged students to consider how our senses relating to balance, proprioception, and vision underpin widely accepted conventions and concepts of layout, design, composition, and colour.

He lives in North Vancouver, BC with his wife and sculpture partner Helene Aspinall. Helene and Marcus enjoy living close to the lush mountain rainforest and the Salish Sea. 

Contact

For sales and inquires please email bowcott.marcus@gmail.com.

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Education

MA 1984 Royal College of Art, London, England
AOCA 1977 Ontario College of Art, Toronto, Canada
AA 1972 Douglas College, New Westminster, Canada

Exhibitions

SOLO SHOWS (selected)

2022 Mercy Mercy Me Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2017 An Apparatus for Divining Capital, (with Helene Aspinall), Tollwood Festival, Munich, Germany

2015 Endlessly Rocking Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2012 Cruising Arcadia CAFCA,North Vancouver, BC

2011 Shipped CAFCA, North Vancouver, BC

2010 Cut Blocks, Stacks & Bundles / Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlum, BC

2008 Thaw, Bau-Xi   Gallery, Vancouver, BC /Past Desolation Sound Amelia Douglas Gallary, New Westminster, BC

2007 Floating Worlds 2006 Marking Time

2002 Scaffold Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver

2000 Shift Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver

1999 Palimpsest grunt gallery, Vancouver

1998 The Enigma of Vessels

1997 Ark Vancouver Maritime Museum, Vancouver

1997 Ark Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC

1993 Fire & Water Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver

1988 Swimmer Series Heffel Fine Art Gallery, Vancouver

GROUP SHOWS (selected)

2022 Mercy Mercy Me Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2020 What Are You Working on? Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2018 Royal Academy Summer Show, London, England

2017 Fire & Water(with Laura Wee Lay Laq)Amelia Douglas Gallery, New Westminster, BC

2014-16 Open Borders/Crossroads Vancouver, Vancouver Biennale

2013 Punch Gallery, Seattle, Washington

2010 ArtWORK/Detroit Contemporary Art Institute, Detroit

2009 Unity & Diversity Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Korea

2007 Contemporary Craft in B.C. Vancouver Museum, Vancouver, BC

2005 25 Years*25 Artists Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC

2003 Waterscapes Bau Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC

1997 Artropolis Roundhouse Gallery, Vancouver, BC

1994 Monotypes Prior Editions, Vancouver, BC

1993 Artropolis ’93 Woodwards Building, Vancouver, BC

1998 VGH Foundation Show

1986 Art about Issues Surrey Art Gallery

1984 Between Two Countries Canada House / RCA, London, England

Awards / Grants (selected)

2015 Canada Council Project Grant
2006 Greenshields Foundation Grant
2002 Greenshields Foundation Grant
1999 British Columbia Arts Council Grant
1998 British Columbia Arts Council Grant
1997 British Columbia Arts Council Grant
1984 RCADegree Show / Burston Purchase Award 1982 Canada Council Project Costs Grant
1981 British Columbia Cultural Fund Grant
1998 British Columbia Arts Council Grant
1997 British Columbia Arts Council Grant
1984 RCADegree Show / Burston Purchase Award 1982 Canada Council Project Costs Grant
1981 British Columbia Cultural Fund Grant

Reviews / Publications / Media (selected)

2018 As it Happens / interview with Carol Off / March 7, 2018

2017 Vancouver Sun (Art Seen – Kevin Griffin)
2015 Georgia Straight / The Vancouver Sun / Metro News / Global News / CBC News …
2012 The North Shore Outlook (A View from Here)
2011 The Vancouver Sun (Going for a ride in the age of auto), Canadian Art (Our Floating Forests),

CBC (NxNW Interview), Making It (by Chris Tyrell)
2010 Galleries West (Show Report: Cheongju Biennale 2009)
2009 Canadian Art (Seeing at Sea)
2008 The Essential Vancouver (Art Beat)
2007 Capilano Review (Artists at Capilano College)
2006 Galleries West (Marking Time)
2005 25 Years / 25 Artists (Richmond Art Gallery Silver Anniversary publication),

Edmonton Journal (Image(ination) Constructs) 2004 Canadian Art (Kerfuffle)

2000 Georgia Straight (Oct & Nov/Straight Choices)
1999 The Vancouver Sun (Palimpsest), Asian Art News (Palimpsest)
1999 The West Ender (Palimpsest)
1998 Asian Art News (Wedge), Artichioke (Site Specific), The Vancouver Sun (Wedge)

The Voice (Enigma of Vessels)Georgia Straight (Straight Choices)
1997 Canadian Art (Golden Years), The Vancouver Sun (Ark), The Vancouver Courier (Ark) 1993 Visions Quarterly (Fire & Water)
1993 The Vancouver Sun (Artropolis)
1986 Vanguard (Art about Issues)
1984 Arts Review Magazine (RCA Degree Show)