Kirk Mechar lives and works in Lunenburg, NS, Canada and Nevis, West Indies Kirk Mechar was born in Canada in 1967. Widely recognized for largescale “ flower” paintings created using textured oil paint, Mechar works in a variety of materials alone and in combination, including, wood, marble dust, glass and clay. Mechar’s work is defined by a continuing interest in patterns, particularly as reflected in both abstract and figurative pieces.
He attended Humber College in Toronto for design and is a self-taught painter. He has been represented by Edward Day Gallery in Toronto, Buschlen Mowatt Gallery in Vancouver and shown at the Navillus Gallery in Toronto.
Kirk Mechar’s newest paintings emerge from a complex assembly of materials and their role in capturing his unique take on the subtle, transformative impact of time.
The line separating sculptor and painter and craftsman and artist is seamless in this latest series, allowing each piece to become entirely original variations on a theme. It is an organic evolution, a process that as much “shapes” the images on the canvas as it does paint them.
The Mosaic Series draws from a physical past; one that is discovered in unfinished canvases carefully cut into “tiles” and set aside for another time. A deliberate reuse of earlier work becomes the path for creating powerful, textured surfaces that result from a labour-intensive assembly of individual elements. The inevitable tension that lies between what is and what might become arises from deep inside the canvas, leaving a welcome balance that is clear while being, at once, fresh but worn.
Blending his discipline in sculpture, with the opportunity presented by the reused old canvases, Mechar’s newest work offers a level of craftsmanship that’s delivered with an artisanal approach, handcrafted paintings that are distinct from work that might be mass-produced or made intrinsically repetitive with the aid of modern technology.
In this respect, these works have proved more difficult to create because of his tough, self-criticism and the constant adjustments demanded by the pieces melded together. It is through an intense process and unusual focus that makes the complexity of the composition and the distressed texture a reward to discover.