"I was painting like I always do when the pandemic hit and my daily activities outside the home became sharply curtailed. So, I doubled down on painting and caught the news like everyone else. As I painted for this show I felt the rising intensity of domestic and world events surround my family and friends and it influenced the direction of my work.
"My show, Straight to The Heart, is meant to get at the heart of these most compelling events affecting us all. I also intended for the work to be beautiful yet intriguing. In the paintings, there are subtle
references to topics like climate crisis as well as the knowledge I have that young people are inheriting a world that does not look like the one my parents gave to me. In fact, recent surveys have revealed the anxiety that young people are feeling as they say they have no confidence in world leaders or the lawmakers who can do something about it."
- Mark Beck
