B.1959
Mark Dicey’s artistic practice is rooted in his passion for painting, particularly the history and evolution of abstraction. His abstract works emerge organically, without predetermined direction, aside from the choice of acrylic as a medium and size of the canvas. His process is instinctual and spontaneous, blending action, memory, and materials. He begins with initial marks made from conte and/or paint, then works to develop a visual rhythm by layering line, colour, shape and texture.
Dicey’s approach allows the painting to evolve naturally as he interacts with and responds to the emerging composition. His aim is for viewers to engage with the creative process itself, observing the layered history within the painting. His abstract shapes and colour choices reflect his daily observation rather than a pre-existing plan or narrative.
Dicey graduated from the Alberta College of Art (now Alberta University of the Arts) in 1983 and has been a vital part of Calgary’s arts community exhibiting widely across Alberta. A notable exhibition in 2018 at the Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary showcased his recent paintings along with a selection of his book works and works on paper. Drawing daily, Dicey works in and out of the studio in many diverse drawing books, both new and found, which serve as a foundation for his creative thinking and painting process.
Collaboration has also been central to his practice, including his involvement with the artist trio ‘Drunken Paw’ and his co-founding of the Elephant Artist Relief Society, which provides emergency health support for Calgary artists. During his career, Dicey was active in Calgary’s experimental artist-run spaces and has engaged in performance, installation, music, teaching, and curating, however abstraction has remained the core focus of his work.
His works are held in several prestigious collections including the Canadian Embassy in Belgium, Visual Art Collection Global Affairs Canada, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, City of Calgary Art Collection, Nickle Galleries University of Calgary, Chateau Lake Louise, TC Energy, Glencoe Club Calgary, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, TD Bank, Calgary Exhibition and Stampede (BMO Centre) and numerous private and corporation collections, locally, nationally and internationally.
