About Tim McFarlane

Discovery

Tim McFarlane

Born: 1964, Philadelphia, PA

Residence: Philadelphia, PA

Tim McFarlane is a painter based in Philadelphia, PA. His abstract paintings and works on paper examine the fluid and contradictory nature of memory and place as informed by time, with an emphasis on color, multi-layered systems and process. McFarlane’s observations of the visual impact of human activity and his everyday engagement with man-made and natural environments form the basis of his work. In addition to painting, his practice includes site specific mixed media installations, murals, photography and digital experimentation.

A 1994 Temple University/Tyler School of Art graduate, Tim has exhibited his work extensively in the U.S. in group exhibitions and major art fairs in New York, Miami, Dallas and San Francisco. McFarlane’s paintings and works on paper reside in numerous private and public collections such as The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Woodmere Museum of Art, The Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art, Bucknell University, Fox School of Business (Temple University) and West Virginia University. His work is represented by the Bridgette Mayer Gallery (Philadelphia).

Tim McFarlane

Artist Statement

The fluid space of memory, influenced by time, place and experience forms the foundation of my paintings and works on paper. In public and private spaces, personal meaning and influences evolve over time, leaving residue of the past, informing us of what is at least partially known of bygone eras. Old information is overwritten, marginalized and forgotten, part of the continual remaking of spaces in most man-made environments. A starting point for my work is observing largely anonymous, sometimes unintentional artwork/ communications consisting of graffiti overlapped with torn posters and and myriad other markings existing in places old and new. The implication is that any number of “someones” were there, that a space has been activated by unintentional communal expression.

My works emphasize multi-layered systems, color and chance. Fields of overlapping forms, populated with glyphs and other forms, are made with direct painting, drawing and collage techniques. Also, shifts in scale and color, with translucent and opaque layers, mirror aspects of the built environment and residue of human activity. I incorporate a sense of interdependence, history and chance happenings in my work that allows for multiple meanings and entry points for the viewer.

Curriculum Vitae