Image:Elysium (c) MM Art
The Prodigy’s Maxim, under the alias MM, launches his first ever exhibition, immersing viewers in a sensory experience of sight, sound and scent MM will present his first ever visual arts exhibition LepidopTerror this September at the renowned I.N.C. Space,
Covent Garden.
The exhibition will show his large scale paintings as part of a sensory, immersive experience. LepidopTerror, a new series of paintings by MM, will see the butterfly motif assume a unique and evocative significance. Butterflies, traditional symbols of life, death, rebirth and reincarnation, have been incorporated into the work of some of history’s most celebrated artists, from Salvador Dali to Damien Hirst. MM’s butterflies, however, are rather more sinister – while from afar the viewer is struck by stunning hues and conventional winged beauty, on closer inspection the reality is one of armed creatures, with thoughts and actions uncertain and threatening.
The show at I.N.C. Space will incorporate between twelve and fifteen large-scale paintings – including many of his butterfly series. The exhibition, curated in a ‘room within a room’ will engage the viewer subliminally, through sight, sound and smell. Juxtaposed by the clinical brightness of the external space, this enclosing ‘cocoon’ will draw upon
subtle such elements as darkness, warmth, and low frequency sound, which will be felt but not heard. Inducing this mysterious ambience, MM transforms a passive ‘viewing’ into a holistic and absorbing encounter.
“The dark fantasy landscape of fairy tales and ghostly wars is where MM’s artworks live.” Art critic Francesca Gavin commented. But, as she continued: “Horror in art reflects our awareness of the increasing details of the violence around the world. The depiction of our fears on canvases, such as MM’s, can be an attractive and almost comforting resolution to that unease.”
“I feel a sense of freedom when I paint. There are no restrictions and you can let your imagination run wild… I now see everything under one umbrella: music, art, fashion…they are all about creativity.”
MM
“If a painting isn’t working and I’m not 100% happy with the outcome – if I feel I haven’t injected any soul into it – what I do is burn it and set it free. To me, it is like putting a wounded animal out of its misery.” MM
It was artist Stuart Semple who was instrumental in MM’s decision to put on his first exhibition.
“I’ve been totally captivated by MM’s paintings since I first saw them and feel incredibly privileged to have been able to watch the works develop. He’s got an amazing ability to take the dark spots that have probably been in all of our psyches since childhood, and through his mastery of materials, has managed to encase them in something
paradoxically gorgeous. He’s a fascinating painter.”
Stuart Semple
To accompany the exhibition, MM will be producing two limited edition prints, each with runs of 50. MM is donating a percentage of all print sales to Médecins Sans Frontières, an independent international humanitarian organisation operating in over 60 countries worldwide.
MM will also be supporting Breakthrough Breast Cancer during the exhibition. The UK’s leading charity committed to fighting breast cancer through research, campaigning and education, Breakthrough Breast Cancer will receive the total sale value of the painting Godiva if sold during the exhibition.
15th – 26th September 2011 Hauntingly dark yet intriguing paintings reveal the hidden side of
a butterfly’s wings. Further information on MM Art can be found at www.mm-gallery.com
