Executed in oil, alkyd and graphite on linen, Mark Sheinkman’s paintings have a striking physical presence. He begins each painting by laying down a white ground of oil and alkyd to which he applies a layer of graphite; the “imagery” in each painting is then generated by removing the graphite with various instruments. Sheinkman uses this act of erasure to conjure a variety of visual effects. It is notable that for all of their expressiveness, Sheinkman’s paintings do not offer direct evidence of the artist’s hand. There is a tension between their clearly handmade facture and the almost photographic distance at which they place the viewer.

Sheinkman’s work has been exhibited internationally since the late 1990s. Recent exhibitions include solo shows at Von Lintel Gallery in New York City and at the Museum Gegenstandfreier Kunst in Ottendorf, Germany. His work was the focus of a 2008 show at the Grand Rapids Art Museum in Michigan and a 2005 show at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, MO. 

Courtesy of Steven Zevitas