The Artistic Practice of Mark Rowan Hull

Born in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, in 1968, Mark Rowan Hull began his life's work through a lens of profound sensory connection. As a British synaesthete, his vision is inextricably linked to the realm of sound, a condition that shapes how he perceives the world around him. For Hull, art is not a detached observation of external objects, but a direct engagement with lived experience. He seeks to translate the internal movements of memory and emotion into a visual language, often using the physical act of painting to process the complexities of human existence.

His practice is deeply rooted in the intellectual and social fabric of Oxford, where he remains a lifelong member of the University of Oxford. This connection to such a storied institution provides a steady foundation for an artist whose work often explores the intersection of the tangible and the ephemeral. He has spent much of his career examining how a single gesture or a specific movement can release the fears and facts of a life onto a canvas. This pursuit of meaning through action defines his presence as both a visual and performance artist.

Technique and Style of Visual Music

The artist’s practice is rooted in the belief that art should live through the very act of its creation. He does not merely produce objects for quiet contemplation; instead, he seeks to capture the invigorating, ephemeral qualities of visual art by making his work live within the performance itself. By responding to music in real time, he attempts to encapsulate the way music holds time within its structure. This process is an ongoing examination of the hybrid space where sound and sight meet, turning the act of painting into a physical investigation of how movement and gesture can translate auditory sensations into visible forms.

His method relies heavily on the interplay of gesture, movement, and colour to explore the senses. Rather than following a static plan, the work emerges from a rhythmic dialogue with the music being performed. This approach allows the artist to translate the immediate energy of a composition into a physical mark on the canvas. Through these interventions, he explores how the transient nature of a musical note can be anchored through the deliberate application of paint, creating a visual record of a moment that has already passed.

Collaborations and Musical Performances

The artist’s practice often moved beyond the quiet solitude of the studio and into the shared, breathing space of live performance. In 2002, he produced two large canvases for a concert, an act that required him to engage with the immediate energy of the music as it unfolded. This habit of painting in real-time allowed the visual work to become a physical extension of the sound. By 2003, he was performing alongside concert pianist Helen Reid at the Music of Mind Festival at London University, translating the piano's notes into gesture and color before a live audience.

These performances frequently took place in settings of great architectural weight. In 2006, he brought his work to Westminster Cathedral, and later, in 2007, he participated in the Dartington International Summer School festival. His collaborations were not limited to soloists; he worked with the Coull Quartet at the Pallant House Gallery in 2007, finding a way to map the intricate textures of chamber music onto the canvas. These moments were less about the finished object and more about the act of translation, as he sought to capture the ephemeral qualities of a melody before the final note had even faded.

As his career progressed, he continued to seek out these intersections of sound and sight. In 2008, he collaborated with pianist Peter Hill for a performance at the University of Leeds Music Concert Hall. Through these varied encounters, the artist sought to bridge the gap between the auditory and the visual, turning the act of painting into a shared, lived experience.

Key Works and Artistic Responses

The year 2003 marked a period of intense creative output, as the artist sought to translate the structured complexities of classical compositions into physical form. During this time, he turned his attention to the works of Bach, producing visual responses to the Solo Violin and the melodic 'Air on a G String'. These works were not mere illustrations but attempts to capture the very essence of the music through the movement of paint. He similarly grappled with the intricate textures of Purcell's ‘Chacony’, seeking to find a visual language for the baroque rhythms that guided his hand.

His engagement with the more dramatic and structural elements of music led him to explore the works of Schubert and Bartók. He produced several pieces in response to the Schubert String Quartet No.1 in B Minor and the Violin and Viola Pieces by Bartók, as well as a response to a Bartók Quartet. These works required a deep analysis of harmonic progressions and rhythmic patterns, which he distilled into layered, textured canvases. Even the spirited nature of Polkas Performed by a Quartet and the intense, shifting moods of Grieg's ‘Hall of the Mountain King’ found their way into his visual vocabulary, proving his ability to navigate both the light and the dark of musical performance.

• Response to Bach Solo Violin (about 2003)
• Response to Purcell's ‘Chacony’ (about 2003)
• Response to Schubert String Quartet No.1 in B Minor (about 2003)
• Response to Grieg's ‘Hall of the Mountain King’ (about 2003)

Where to See the Works Today

The physical presence of his canvases can be found within the academic heart of Oxford. Many of his pieces reside in the Department of Economics, Oxford, where they hang amidst the quiet industry of the university. His work also finds a home within the collections of St Hugh's College, Oxford, and Wolfson College. These settings allow his visual responses to music to exist in spaces dedicated to deep thought and study.

Beyond these permanent collections, his art has occupied significant public stages. He brought his practice to the South Bank Centre during the years 2011 and 2012, performing his unique method of painting in response to live sound. His presence in such venues, including Linacre College, reflects a life spent moving between the quiet halls of academia and the active, shared spaces of musical performance.