About

John Macormac (b.1981) is an artist living and working in Northern Ireland and former co-director at Catalyst Arts. He graduated from the University of Ulster with an MFA in Fine Art in 2016. John helped establish Cathedral Studios, a Belfast based artist run studio organisation in 2003. His art practice is multi-disciplinary, embracing performance, installation and drawing.

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Photo by Kristi Nicole Campbell

Artist Statement

My practice explores pattern through mathematics, geometry, structure and environment. Process is key; time, action, choice and human agency are carefully considered factors. Work seeks to develop a connection between processes of the natural world and those of artistic creation, and to deconstruct the heroic expressive act of the artist. I do this through adherence to quasi scientific, systematic methods.

Work often involves large scale geometric wall drawings using chalks or crayons and sculptural objects chosen for their form or purpose, for example a clockwork metronome, or specially constructed forms. Other key elements are drum performance, the physical, performative act of drawing and/or the playback of recorded and manipulated ambient or percussive sound. Sonic components activate and augment visual ones yet possess integrity to stand apart.

Current working processes involve following self-determined rules. Starting with rules is a reaction against past working methods where I would begin with a blank surface and each painted or collaged element would inform the next, in an attempt to make a balanced and somehow coherent whole. Similarly, when planning sonic pieces, I write recipe scores that prescribe what will be played using electronic drums and a loop station connected to an amplifier, rather than sitting down at a drum kit to improvise and always falling into a habitual style of playing. I may perform pieces or invite other musicians to do so. Scores provide instructions but are written to encourage improvisation within the set structure, each iteration will be different. Sections may become looped, layered and manipulated using effects pedals. This approach interrupts a conventional, musical approach to drumming.

Rules are formulated and obeyed with care. I strive to challenge the choice structures usually ascribed to the artist making work. These choices disturb the habitual, classic default of “being and artist.” Instead of confronting a daunting blank surface or a drum kit unequipped, rules provide me with a framework for operation. An important ambition is to frame my work as something other than individual expression, to attempt to reassert the material nature of my art, and its own mutability, rather than trying to speak for the artist.

In fomulating and obeying rules for drawing and drummed performance, I am aware the actions and choices of the individual will always be evident. Choice can be limited, but it is impossible and absurd to attempt to completely negate it.

I document wall drawings when they are finished or abandoned then paint over them. Performance works are documented in video and digitally recorded. The knowledge of the inherent transience of this mode of working is liberating. The fact that the work will eventually only exist in documentation and memory makes me less precious about it, and more inclined to take risks. I am less preoccupied with achieving elusive balance or resolution.

My work constantly strives for multi-sensory and immersive outcomes. Practice is process led, rigorous, repetitive, rhythmic, systematic and labour intensive.

 

162 replies to “About”

  1. John- found your blog from you “liking” one of my blog posts, and wanted to tell you that I love your art. You have a fantastic sense of composition, and I love that the nature of your work invites exploration on the part of the viewer. I really get a sense of the developing journey you take in your artmaking and can relate to the inspiration of random mixed media elements. I have collected a massive pile of odds and ends myself, and often incorporate bits that other people give me into my own artwork, and like to keep that vibe going. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to send you an envelope of snippets for inspiration. If so, drop me a line with your address at the Cathedral Studios and I’ll ship some off: marianne.bland@gmail.com

    Cheers! (as they say on your side of the pond)

    Marianne

    Reply

  3. Hi John, thanks for stopping by my mandala blog. It never ceases to amaze me when I get visitors from Belfast (or there abouts). Actually met a guy I know in real life here too, which I’m still not recovered from 🙂
    Starting a big project in next few months on creativity – hope you’ll find that interesting too. I’ll post details on Mandala.
    Good luck with the current exhibition – with any luck I’ll get in to see it. Deirdre

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  4. Marvelous work you’re doing. And my thanks for visiting my blog. Keep on the good work and I will definitely your blog….

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  5. I’m really enjoying getting to know your work. The cover art for the Rollins book echoes The Creation of Adam to my mind; I found Battlefield 2010 especially moving, as well. Thanks for sharing your art, and I look forward to more.

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  10. Thank you for stopping by to “like” my blog. I love your work! I particularly like the graphite drawings. Well, I like the painting/collages, too!

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  13. Thanks for the “like” on my blog. Very interesting stuff! Love the fact everything constantly evolves.

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  17. John, always interested in meeting other artists so thank you for stopping by and liking Transparent Soul. Beautiful and interesting pieces. I like the pink, too.

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  18. Once the obvious is peeled away there is so much going on under ‘the skin”. Great to be introduced to some new art and an original way of seeing. Keep on drumming too!
    Thanks for the attention.

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  24. Hi John- Thank you for “liking” my blog post about Decisive Moments on Starlightaffinity.com. Since I am new to the blogosphere, I’m happy you stopped by! I really enjoy your work that you are doing with mixed media.

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  25. Hi! Thank you for checking out my blog. I like your site, and you have really cool work!
    I wish you all the best! Diana

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  26. Thank you for visiting my blog … I found myself drawn to a number of your pieces as well as to your creative meditative/reflective process.

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    1. Hi Diana, thanks for the visit. I’m not very technically minded, but I shall endeavour to make my site more mobile. The follow button is usually along the bar at the top of the screen, but it may be different on mobiles. I’ll let you know if I find out more.. 🙂

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  28. Hi John,
    Thank you for “liking” one of my posts and visiting my blog. I really like your work. It’s been a long time since I visited your neck of the woods but I absolutely loved it. Reading about you reminded me of the time I spent on a sheep farm in Donegal and visiting Belfast as well as the Giant’s Causeway. What a beautiful country. You must find so much inspiration there.
    All the best,
    Melissa

    Reply

    1. Hi Melissa,
      thanks very much for the kind words about my work. That’s great that you spent time over here. Yes the Irish countryside is really beautiful. I suppose I have a tendency to take Belfast’s immediate surroundings for granted, but I was down in Sligo over the summer there and the dramatic scenery was truly inspirational.
      All the best to you and with your work,
      John

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  30. Hi John,

    Thank you for visiting my blog post on Letter Writing.
    One of the best things about this new world is how easy it is to connect with people of like minds from all corners of the world.
    I am very pleased that my blog allowed me to be introduced to your art!
    I loved River on Blue Light and Overcoats for Winter (wonderful titles, too)….but I especially liked the energy in your pencil/graphite pieces. I’ll be keeping an eye out for further posts in the future!

    All the best,
    Janice

    Reply

    1. Hi Janice,

      Thanks very much for visiting my blog and the comlpiments about my work and titles. I really enjoyed your post about letter writing and the accompanying mixed media piece. It is sad that the culture of having pen pals is being superseded by e-mail and social media. I too will look forward to future posts!

      best,
      John

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  31. John, I don’t know how you found my blog, but I am glad you did! I have been enjoying looking at your art very much! I am very inspired to make more art and also display more on my blog, and build up my bio. You have done an excellent job! Thanks for sharing with me and the world!

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    1. Thanks very much for the very kind words traumazodiac, I’m glad to have inspired you to make more art! Keep up the good work on your blog, I loved your ‘about’ words.

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  32. Thanks for the visit to my art blog and like. I like your work and also sometimes recycle my art and include it in my photo art. I like how you allow the work to evolve as you create it rather than restricting it to some preconceived vision.

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  34. Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog, I appreciate your support. It’s been fun trying out the medium. Really like your site, I’d like to see some of your works in person, haven’t been to Ireland, though. Listening to Blue Whale right now, trying to memorize the lyrics (thought I heard some Pixies there). Please stop by my site again. Most of the pieces are works in progress at any time.

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  35. Thanks for visiting my blog post (Canyonlands,The Maze), and your comments. I’m just trying out this medium, and the encouragement is welcome. All of my posts are works in progress to some degree.
    Your work here is quite impressive, and I’m listening to Blue Whale, right now, trying to memorize the lyrics (do I here a bit of the Pixies in there?).
    Thanks again for taking the time to check out my blog.
    (I tried to post this the other day, did not seem to come through.)
    Don Donahue (donahuedon)

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    1. Hi Don, thanks very much for your compliments, I’m enjoying your accomplished photographs and words too. Cheers for looking up Blue Whale too, yes we definitely would cite the Pixies as an influence, alongside bands like Battles and Neu!. All the best for now,
      John

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  36. Hi John, your work is very inspring (in various respects….) I am glad I found your blog and I’ll make sure to come back for more. Maybe one day I’ll succeed in putting into better words what intrigues me here.

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  37. Really stunning work John, I love the ‘found’ quality of the elements you incorporate in your pieces, and the evolutionary spirit of what you create. Your use of materials speaks beautifully, I’m really glad to have come across your site. I look forward to seeing more and thank you for liking my own blog!

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    1. Thanks very much Duncan! Yes I’m fond of recycling materials that are usually thrown away in my work. I’m really enjoying your Ruination Scotland blog too, excellent photos and artwork of architectural heritage.

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  40. Hi John thanks for visiting my blog – not very good at updating it but nice to know people enjoy it when they do come across it. I really like your work and am now off to check out The Cathedral Studios on facebook

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  41. Hi John, thank you for visiting my blog, it’s an honor that you actually like my creations. I really do love your style, it is very likable 🙂

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  46. Hello there, thanks very much for following me and in turn bringing this blog to my attention. I love what you’re doing; really daring and expressive and, as someone who also enjoys detail, it’s been a real treat to sit and study them – I’ve lost a fair bit of time doing so!

    I’m really looking forward to seeing more 🙂

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    1. Hello there Steven, thanks very much for visiting my blog too and spending your time studying the works. I like the idea that they can be explored and reward scrutiny like actual maps. By the way I just enjoyed your crystal maze post there, I’d forgotten how great the map on it was!

      Keep up the great work 🙂

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  47. Hi! Just letting you know that I have nominated you for the “Very Inspiring Blogger Award” – screwiness-o-ramaDOTcom/2012/11/18/very-inspiring-blogger-award/ – congratulations! 😉

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  48. Hi John
    Your blog is one of my favourites and I’ve nominated you for a One Lovely Blog Award.

    Thank you, Jules


    I’m not sure if you do the blog award thing but just know that I love your blog.
    All the best
    Annerose

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  51. Hi, thanks for the likes on my blog. I find your work really interesting…and some of them are big-did I see 1mx2m? Wow! I clicked ‘trackback URL’ and I’m afraid I don’t know what it is! Sorry! 🙂

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    1. thanks Elle, you’re very welcome! Yes the biggest piece I’ve uploaded so far is River on light blue. In my art college days the biggest I did were 8×6 foot canvasses. It’s cathartic to work on such a scale 🙂

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  54. John, thanks for stopping by my garden blog. You say above, “My work does not start with a finished image in mind.” That’s pretty much how I write my blog posts. I often start with a few pictures I’ve taken during the day or a phrase or song lyric that popped into my head, and see where that takes me. The posts I start with a clear point in mind rarely see the “publish” button. Looking forward to exploring your site and art. Best, PG

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    1. Thank you very much Paula. Yes I find working organically with no finished piece in mind keeps the creative process exciting and allows happy accidents to influence the direction the work takes. All the best for now, John.

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  55. Thanks for paying a visit to Filey, John, and appreciating the place. I often see marks in the natural and man made environment around here that I would like to turn into artworks using my hands and “old technology” – but lack your skills and vision.

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  56. Hello John!

    Thanks for visiting and liking my work. Took me a while to check out yours due to one distraction or another but I’m glad I did it today.

    Really enjoyed looking at your body of work and especially love the quality of lightness they radiate. Would love to see them in person cos the digital image is never like the real thing is it? I’d like to see you writing more about your artistic and thought processes too.

    I hope to be as creatively productive as you in 2013 so keep the posts and works coming. They are definitely inspirational to this person who has waited 20 years to reconnect with her dream to be an artist. You can be sure I am not going to waste another minute. I’ve signed up for email alerts of your posts! 🙂

    Finally, happy holidays and do continue to drop by every now and then.

    Cheers!
    Nasyitah
    http://www.coloursofthedomesticgoddess.wordpress.com

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    1. Hi Nasyitah!

      Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments. Sorry it’s taken me this long to reply. I do intend to get back into blogging this year and to try to upload a post weekly once more.

      I definitely agree about the inadequacy of the digital image, especially with works that have textured surfaces. There’s no substitute for being able to see work up close and in different qualities of light. I will try to write more about my artistic processes this year too.

      I’m so glad you find inspiration from my work, I find it inspiring that you are fulfilling your long held dream of being an artist. As far as sketchbook work goes, I approach a blank page the same way I approach larger work, without a finished image in mind. The work grows organically with one element acting as a catalyst for the next. I feel freer and more experimental in sketchbooks, there is less pressure.

      All the best for now! 🙂
      John

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  57. Thank you for the ‘likes’ on my blog – really appreciated. I really like your work, very ethereal in some ways and yet there is so much depth and texture too. I’ll be coming back again as this is visually stunning!

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  58. Thanks for the like on our Inside Out art group blog. Really like the organic feel of your work. We have a number of artists using texture and layering in a similar vein to some of your pieces, including one who’s worked a bit with John Kingerlee. Lots of thoughtful comments on your work too – particularly about texture and the inadequacy of digital technology to reproduce it. We’ve been talking a little about using much more oblique lighting on highly textured works in order to produce a photograph that echoes the original feel of the piece a bit more.

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    1. thank you very much for your positive feedback John. I really like what I’ve seen of John Kingerlee’s work and would love to see more of the work of the Inside Out art group artists that you mention. I’d also be very interested in the results of the oblique lighting technique- I certainly find getting half decent shots of textured work to be a perennial problem. All the best, john

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  60. Hi John. Found your blog from you liking one of my post. Interesting stuff in here. I shall take a peek often. Keep it up bro. Cheers.

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  61. John, thanks for your comment on my pic today, on two counts: 1). it was exceedingly kind of you and, 2). it introduced me to your work which I bloody love – amazing stuff! Looking forward to seeing more… Cheers, Rob.

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    1. Thanks very much to you mate, I’m seriously impressed with your style too. I hadn’t checked out Brett Whitely’s work before but I’m really liking what I see. All the best.

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  72. Brilliant, beautiful, original, from the heart, inspiring — I could go on and on… It’s not every day, or even every year that I see work that moves me the way yours does. Thank you.

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  76. Hi John, Thank you for stopping by my blog and following. I love your work and I’m really looking forward to hopping over here often to keep up with your posts:)

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  77. Thanks for generously sharing the precious gifts. Very enriching experience it is to tour around this exhibition blog.

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  82. Hey John! Thank you for checking out my blog!:-)Been going on a like spree on all your posts! Love your art pieces! Good work!:-)

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  83. Hello John, I’ve been coming back and forth, each time getting a greater sense of your work. I get a real kick out of seeing artists, who develop there work over time and confidently put it out there. A real sense of owning what you do and where you are at.

    I really enjoyed this paragraph …. My work does not start with a finished image in mind. Rather it carries a sense of practical progression; each new area suggests the context and space for the next aspect of the piece. I often work on several at a time. The work is in a constant state of evolution and reinvention. Layers are added and scraped back. Each finished piece displays evidence of this process of revision, editing and adding new elements until it feels right to stop. Sometimes pieces become overworked. I often recycle them by cutting them up and using parts that ‘work’ to create new images.

    Nothing is ever lost, just working towards a new beginning. Cheers, Tim.

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  84. You are an uncommonly talented and compelling artist. I find the work elegant, richly resolved and downright beautiful to look at. Thanks for the opportunity to become familiar with your various explorations, and I look forward to following you on the journey.

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  86. Thanks for liking my work. We are both working in art that grows each moment we are with it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I live in an area where art is generally light-houses and seascapes, so my work is rarely of interest to most. I should also say that my Belfast is about twenty miles up the coast from here…in Maine! Good luck to you. Your work shows that you have direction…and your skill shows through.

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  88. Thanks for choosing to follow my blog. I very much hope that you will continue to enjoy my posts.
    I enjoyed exploring your site and am interested in the concept of associating visual and sound abstracts. In particular I wonder to what extent the choice of sound material influences the visual interpretation. Have you experimented with contrasting audio accompaniments?
    I also wonder how much your work is conceived with a particular location/environment in mind. Work on panels to facilitate transference to alternative venues might be an interesting experiment in audience reaction.

    Reply

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