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Since 1990, the kite has been a recurring symbol in Mark Dutney's work, featured in at least eight solo exhibitions. Becoming a signatory element, the kites have evolved as autobiographical representations and abstractions of the artist's life and his work as a medical practitioner. These familiar forms have hovered surreally from gallery walls, depicting various aspects of the human condition.
Upon taking up a position in Canada in 2001, Dutney found himself captivated by his new environment and its contrast to home. The precise geometry of the kite has now been replaced by the delicate details of nature, with intimate watercolours forming a record of his journey to and experiences of Prince Edward Island. The objects are all significant, quietly reflecting progression, transformation, fragility and transition.
‘Prince Edward Island-Spring to Fall' 2001, is a beautifully executed series, outlining the artist's journey; a journey which has allowed him to renew his links with nature through a quiet and concentrated portrayal of natural form. The work is presented as a series of twenty-nine artist books, each featuring one original work, numbered and signed. Arranged chronologically, the series spans four months from June to October. Dutney's meditative approach to the narrative is underscored by his signing the works on the back, ensuring that the nature of the work is not interrupted.
As Jane O'Neill states in her catalogue essay, 'Family & Friends-in Andy's Footsteps' 'is a personal history based upon footwear belonging to the artist, his friends and family'. This collection of subtle watercolours gives us a sometimes revealing, sometimes lighthearted, sometimes emotional insight into the Dutney world. A portrait, by definition, is 'a likeness of a person; a statement made firstly by