Mark McLeish

Mark McLeish

Profile

Mark’s practice unpacks an interdisciplinary mixed media textile approach, that dominantly sits in the realm of Art Jewellery. His practice led approach to making is pollinated by research that excavates ideas around the intent of magic on material thinking. This cross-cuts historical notations of jewellery as spells, and challenges this with progressive story telling that is often autobiographical. Mark is a lecturer and Jewellery Lead in Craft at Manchester School of Art. 

Mark is best known for its daily brooch, stabilising a myriad of making techniques that grants the works to have a developing textile hybrid language. His retrospect solo show It Is Never What You Did or Didn’t Do exhibited 365 brooches at the Weavers Factory in the Autumn 2022. Chosen for the Joan Charnley bursary in 2021 works that also incorporate to the print designers’ artifacts were spotlighted in the exhibition.   

“Making for me is a territory for tacit knowledge to be aggravated and evolved. Works go through transitional states of making approaches and material evolutions such as: I weave with grasses and twig, cast this in metal and flock the surface. My practice identifies with: artist as collector, material led witch and art jeweller.”

Brooch, from the 13 Treatments collection | Materials: silver, mudlark found objects, textile | Techniques: Fabricated, soldered, knotted, hand knit, magic 2021 | Image:  Michael Pollard
Pendent, from the 13 Treatments collection | Materials: Silver, gold, pewter, green garnet, snake rattle, textile, porcelain | Techniques: Woven, lost wax cast, stone set, hand knit, flocking, magic 2021 | Image: Michael Pollard
Brooches, from collection Perhaps It’s All Been Said | Materials: Rowan twigs, British porcelain, waxed thread, sealing wax, steel | Techniques: Cast, knotted, dipped, 2022
Necklace, from the 13 Treatments collection | Materials: Organic apple seeds, British porcelain, photograph, silver, plastic, waxed thread, rose quartz, pewter, mistletoe, feathers, paint | Techniques:  Cast, hand knit, fabricated, stone set, knotting, magic 2021 |  Image:  Michael Pollard

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Greater Manchester
Northern England

2022

Workshops: Yes
Talks: Yes
Commissions: No