Mark Tansey

Mark Tansey

The Innocent Eye Test, oil on canvas

Doubting Thomas, 1985, oil on canvas

Mark Tansey has been described as a historian-painter of the Postmodern art world. (If you glanced at them you might think they were history paintings but they have surprising and unexpected subject matter). (You might even think they were highly faded photographs.)

This guy is pretty cool - he paints representations of Doubting Thomas and people painting a spaceship. Represents action/instant painting, because you couldn't paint a spaceship because it would take too long. He uses a monochromatic color scheme.

He is very technically skilled in his use of humor and criticism of art.

Fabian Marcaccio

Fabian Marcaccio

The Predator, 2001, mixed media installation

Fabian Marcaccio extroverts abstraction by deconstructing, dissecting, unraveling, and reconstructing Modernist ideals of painting. He creates sculptural composites with mixed media.

Formally he uses canvas as both a support and an image. He uses clear silicone gel to enhance the textural quality of brushstrokes.

He works with themes of manipulation, destruction, and reconstruction. His work could be considered abstract or non representational.

He says he engages the generic elements of painting to create mutual betrayals.

Merlin Carpenter

Merlin Carpenter

from The Opening, 2009

Nigel, 2003

Merlin Carpenter uses a critical appropriation of painting strategies to challenge the history of late Modernism. He also challenges figure vs ground relationships with his disconnected backgrounds.
Some of his early work features abstract gestural figures - women standing in front of non representational backgrounds.
Actually his works vary quite a bit which makes his style hard to classify. (see huge variety in examples above) I am mostly interested in his most recent works like The Opening, in which he did all the "paintings" at the opening reception.

He is pretty involved in the DIY scene and started his own self-financing collective artist-run space in London.