Marius Grose
Artists Statement
For me photography is as much about opening up and revealing unseen aspects of the world as it is about recording or capturing a moment in time. This applies as much to my street photography as it does to the macro and abstract images I make.
Sometimes images really are at our feet as is the case with road markings. Although the markings purpose is to provide guidance to drivers and pedestrians they also can work as abstract art. The street becomes an unofficial gallery.
Sometimes it is the juxtaposition of lines and colours that attracts my eye. Often the richest sources of images are where paint has been applied again and again building up a thick impasto, or it is where the paint has worn away revealing other layers beneath the surface. Photography allows me to transform mundane symbols painted on tarmac into abstract expressionist works.
Marius Grose Biography
Marius Grose was born in the city of Bath in the United Kingdom in 1957. His family moved to Gerrards Cross near London in 1960. He returned to the west country to study fine art at Bristol Polytechnic, graduating in 1981 with a degree in Fine Art, Sculpture. He has lived in Bristol since this time.
At school Marius showed a great passion for art, story telling and science. His first job was to work in the research and development unit of Wiggins Teape papermakers. He left this employment to take an arts foundation course in 1977.
After graduating he worked for a time with physically handicapped people as a craft instructor. In 1984 he decided to change career path and moved into broadcast television eventually becoming a video editor. He has worked on many documentary projects over his career. Throughout this period he maintained his photographic practice. With the advent of digital photography Marius was able to re-engage with the techniques of macro photography. He discovered the work of Karl Blossfeldt during his years as art school which had a great influence on him.
Through the camera he explores very different strands of image making, documentary in the form of street photography, abstract images and the natural world. Collections of plant images and street photography are published in two books, Green Eye. A garden in close up and, Floating Harbour, Floating World. Walking around Bristol with a camera.
Currently Marius is working on a series 'Plant Portraits' using macro photography to explore the plant life in his garden in central Bristol UK. Future plans include making a book that features his photographs and poetry.