Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Mark Heine’s Beautiful and Haunting Oil Paintings of Sirens

Canadian artist Mark Heine is working on a series of oil paintings inspired by sirens, mythical maidens of the deep. Like his subjects, which are equally beautiful and haunting creatures, Heine's paintings embody both beauty and feelings of unease. His work has inspired polarizing reactions; some viewers feeling discomfort, while leaving others entranced. Perhaps this feeling of discomfort can be attributed to Heine's use of tension, as in the way his sirens just barely reach the surface to breathe, or linger above it. Although his premise is based on mythology, it is coupled with a heightened sense of realism.

Canadian artist Mark Heine is working on a series of oil paintings inspired by sirens, mythical maidens of the deep. Like his subjects, which are equally beautiful and haunting creatures, Heine’s paintings embody both beauty and feelings of unease. His work has inspired polarizing reactions; some viewers feeling discomfort, while leaving others entranced. Perhaps this feeling of discomfort can be attributed to Heine’s use of tension, as in the way his sirens just barely reach the surface to breathe, or linger above it. Although his premise is based on mythology, it is coupled with a heightened sense of realism. The underwater world is faithfully reproduced in details like light refractions and ripples, while the rhythms of currents can be felt in the continuous flowing fabric that his sirens wear. To Heine, sirens symbolize a connection between the natural world and the nature of mankind.  In his artist statement, he writes, “In my story, as in real life, the extinction and pollution we bring, come back to haunt us. Sirens play the staring role in the tale. Their unique characteristic, the Siren’s song, is the conduit for communication between life on land and life at sea. Two separate worlds at odds with each other. ” Heine further explains his concept at his website, which he hopes will inspire a positive change in the way we see and think about our effect on our environment.

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
Italian-American painter/sculptor Nicola Verlato first noticed similarities between the vector graphics of the film Tron and early Renaissance work back in 1982. Since, he’s pursued a new methodology in how figurative works are produced, now integrating CGI software into his approach. In a new show at Gallery Poulsen in Copenhagen, the artist premieres works that continue the artist’s evolution. "New Methodological Foundations for Contemporary Painting" kicks off May 5 and lasts through Oct. 6. Verlato was last featured on HiFructose.com here.
Julie Heffernan’s oil paintings imagine habitats and situations formed in response to environmental collapse. "When the Water Rises: Recent Paintings by Julie Heffernan,” a new exhibition coming to the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, offers these recent pieces. It runs Sept. 22 through Dec. 30 at the venue.
Painter Pamela Wilson pushes her absorbing, eerie imagery with a mixture of oils and gold leaf, crafting shimmering images of isolated subjects. Wilson's paintings stir in the often off-kilter expressions of her subjects and overall otherworldliness of the setting. Wilson is part of a new show at Australia's beinArt Gallery. "Jamais Vu" pairs the artist’s work with Kit King and Oda, a husband and wife duo that collaborates on oil paintings.
Figurative painter Carl Dobsky creates oil paintings that acknowledge both the history of the form and the contemporary. The narrative work, in particular, reveals just flashes of magic hidden in his dramatic, realistic scenes. The butterflies in "Ship of Fools" is one example of this, as the periled occupants of a small vessel attempt to survive. The enormous piece took a year to complete.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List