Emerging Artist Series pt 8 - Mark E Lewis
Artists continue to innovate as they have for generations. Gallery500 is excited to support innovation and exhibit digital artist and Daytona Beach native, Mark E Lewis, MLewis Motorsports by Mark Lewis. He is the first Digital Artist to display in Gallery500. In the 8th part of our Emerging Artist Series, Gallery Director Amber sits down with Lewis to talk art, racing and the love he has for Daytona Beach.
Lewis grew up in Daytona Beach. While he spent some years in California working as an actor and had a career in the Air Force, Lewis returned to Daytona and to a lifelong love, racing. He worked at the Daytona International Speedway for 15 years in Public Relations. Here, he gained first-hand knowledge of the sport that has become the steadfast subject of his work.
Lewis’s style is unique in that he focuses on a unique perspective or point of view. His work emphasizes color, speed, light and motion. He often uses extreme contrasting colors to evoke the sense of movement and energy found in motor sports. He focuses on the beauty of the vehicle, limiting the background to only what is necessary to help tell the story of each piece. He notes:
Cars are art…my mission daily in life is to take that art and frame it in a motif that captures that eye. Someone can see that car in a light that they have never thought about and capture their imagination.
As a child, Lewis would often sit in the back of the class, drawing cars. He truly believes that one is “born an artist.” Although his life has taken many turns and he has had a lifetime of careers and experiences, he has always been an artist at heart. His one regret in life is that he took a break from creating art. After his career at Daytona International Speedway, he took he leap and decided to focus on his true love, art. He learned this digital medium and continues to perfect his craft.
While many artists have been using the digital medium for many years, to sketch a concept or visualize perspective, colors and the story of their artwork, Lewis has taken this a step further. His work is digitally created, and he can than produce his work on essentially any media (canvas, metal, paper, etc.). For this collection on display at Gallery500, he has printed his artwork on vinyl and then attached it to canvas. This unique material gives his work a different look and takes his work to another level.
Lewis admits that it is a true honor to have his work installed in any home. As an artist, he looks to his work as his legacy. His “spirit is full” in creating and it is a “labor of love” working on each piece. He loves what he is doing, the digital medium and his subjects – It is “truly an honor” to do this every day.
Stop in the gallery to see Lewis’ digital creations, now through February 26th. Watch the full interview to learn more about Lewis and his work.