Mark Hayward’s work investigates physical motion. Whether explored through one of his quirky animations or his exquisitely engineered drawings, it’s ‘actions’ that interest him and how they adapt and respond to one another to create moveÂment and narratives. Acts of war and aggression featured recurrently in HayÂward’s early work; animations would present the characters fighting and a series of prints from 2009 focussed on figures jumping out of planes and spraying bombs.
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2011 saw a development in Hayward’s work since Eyestorm first spotted his drawÂings and animations of military scenes two years previously at the RCA. ContinuÂing to explore movement and the interaction between the characters in his pieces and their surroundings, Hayward was initially drawn to the fairground and the strong connection between the figures and the rides, which lead to a fascination with children’s sit-on toys. His most recent series of works shows child-like characters in toy versions of iconic vehicles associated with New York, such as the yellow taxi, the police car and a fire engine. Bright colours are used against a dark grey, concrete background, and although there’s no direct link to 9/11, there is an element of it lurking; the innocence that comes across in the characters contrasts with the responsible jobs they hold. Perhaps Hayward is making a comment about our supposed ‘child within’ or simply suggesting that life is but a game; either way these works are intelligent and fun and incredibly easy to fall in love with.
Born in Portsmouth in 1979, Hayward graduated with a BA in Fine Art from UCA Canterbury, Kent in 2007 and then went on to complete his MA in Printmaking at the Royal College of Art, where he received the Tim and Belinda Mara Award. In 2009 his work was selected for the Jerwood Drawing Prize which opened in London in September 2009 and toured the UK until April the following year. He has shown his work in a number of exhibitions including ‘Show One’, at the Royal College of Art, ‘The London Original Print Fair’ at the Royal Academy of Arts, and ‘New Cross Project Space’, London. He currently lives and works in London.