Mark Sheeky
Improvisation On A Theme Of Toad
original
oil on canvas panel
oil on canvas panel
41.5 x 31.5 x 5 cm
16 ¼ x 12 ½ x 2 in
16 ¼ x 12 ½ x 2 in
Series: The Resurrection Sonata
Copyright © Mark Sheeky
This painting forms the opening movement of a larger visual sonata. Two additional “movements” were conceived to follow—together forming a triptych that mirrors classical structure: an energetic and expressive beginning, a slower and more reflective middle, and a concluding passage that revisits and reworks earlier themes into a cohesive whole.
This painting forms the opening movement of a larger visual sonata. Two additional “movements” were conceived to follow—together forming a triptych that mirrors classical structure: an energetic and expressive beginning, a slower and more reflective middle, and a concluding passage that revisits and reworks earlier themes into a cohesive whole.
Improvisation On A Theme Of Toad, began as an act of visual improvisation—an attempt to echo the spontaneity and emotional immediacy of a piano performance. Rather than aiming for a fixed narrative, the work was created swiftly, prioritizing mood, rhythm, and instinct over literal meaning. Like a musician shaping sound in the moment, the composition emerged through gesture and intuition.
Improvisation On A Theme Of Toad, began as an act of visual improvisation—an attempt to echo the spontaneity and emotional immediacy of a piano performance. Rather than aiming for a fixed narrative, the work was created swiftly, prioritizing mood, rhythm, and instinct over literal meaning. Like a musician shaping sound in the moment, the composition emerged through gesture and intuition.
As in the traditions of composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven, the piece is built around a theme—though here the theme is visual rather than musical. Its foundation draws from two source works: Toad by David Choquette, and Antigone in front of the dead Polynices by Nikiphoros Lytras. These influences serve as the initial “notes,” reinterpreted and transformed into a new visual language.
8, King Street