Skin Deep

The vast, imposing figure of comic book hero The Incredible Hulk greets you as you walk into Scream Gallery for Mark Evans’ inaugural solo exhibition. With his mouth open wide, he grimaces malevolently, all pulsating muscles and superhuman bravado.

The bold, intimidating image sets the tone for a show that is pre-occupied with the violence that lies just under the surface of beauty. Indeed nothing is as it seems in Evans’ work – and this starts with his technique. Although each piece looks like the familiar marks of paint on canvas, this artist’s method is infinitely more complex and painstaking.

A sense of awe quickly spread through the packed private view when those gathered realised that the meticulously rendered portraits of the likes of Muhammed Ali and Naomi Campbell were created using nothing more than the most primal of tools, leather hides and a knife.

Evans is the only contemporary artist working in this way. He sources skins from all over the world, carefully selecting hides that lend themselves to his subjects. He then assiduously slices away at them until the image is formed. The photo-realist results are a startlingly forthright comment on the superficial nature of celebrity, summoning up society’s ambivalent relationship with the faux Gods we delight in both worshipping and denigrating.

There is a brutal quality in his subjects, whether this be in the portrayal of blatant violence, as in Mohammed Ali ferociously landing a punch on Doug Jones, or more sinisterly still in the closed, yet determined mouth and cold eyes of Russian Premier Putin. Even the intoxicating beauty of model Naomi Campbell is imbued with a latent danger. Cupping her chiselled face with her right hand, she stares out through those improbably long eye-lashes with the self-assured allure of a modern day Salome.

Images of footballers gurning in triumph serve as a reminder of mankind’s instinctive urge to compete and hunt. The modern icons Evans has chosen are all intricately linked to success and power at all costs. Their eyes flicker with merciless ambition tinged with aggression.

An image of a rhino being speared in the street by faceless attackers puts all of this in perspective – the spectre of ritual sacrifice highlighting the lengths we will go to in order to achieve dominance. Tellingly, the focus here is on male concepts of beauty. The desires illuminating these faces are ferocious and devoid of tenderness. The message is plain – only the fearless win. A disillusioning sentiment it may be, but Evans convinces us unequivocally that it is the truth.

Skin Deep, Mark Evans, Scream Gallery, 34 Bruton Street, London, W1J 6QX, until 8 May.