Mark Francis is a Northern Irish painter known for his alla prima technique of blurring tones and forms to make photographic effects of glowing light. Like Gerhard Richter’s paintings of aerial photographs or Ross Bleckner’s depictions of infected cells, Francis’ work focuses on the abstract nature of microscopic images, including those of sperm, fungus, and astronomical formations. Through this imagery, the artist aims to explore ways in which science is impacted by mapping, order, and randomness. Born in 1962 in Newtonards, Northern Ireland, he studied at St. Martins School of Art in London before receiving his MA from the Chelsea School of Art in 1986. While studying in London, Francis associated with the Young British ...