artist background: mark pearson

Mark Pearson has focussed on photography as an expression of his personal practice, coming to focus more and more in recent years on abstract photography.

The regular photographic hunting trips, initially around Fremantle in Western Australia, and now more often on the Sunshine Coast, Australia nourish the core of his creative drive. Mark has specialised in developing abstract photography, particularly micro views of reflections on water and glass surfaces.

Mark has spent thirty years teaching in the area of expressive arts therapies and counselling, around Australia, and almost twenty years teaching the use of creative arts in international, multi-cultural settings. He has published extensively in the areas of creative arts therapies and personal and therapeutic development [see more on this at www.markpearson.com.au].

Since 2008 Mark passed many hours with his camera prowling the waterways of Fremantle, Perth, Sydney and along the Sunshine Coast, Queensland [in fact around any lakes, ponds, rivers, fountains, harbours he could find], searching for certain moments when the reflected light, the water, the gentle wave movements came together to generate new microcosms of beauty. This obsession soon expanded to also engaging with the wonderful distortions of city buildings reflected across multiple urban windows, from Sydney, Perth, and across Europe.

These pages represent many years of capturing naturally occurring images that are simply reflections of light on the surface of moving water or city glass surfaces - primarily around Fremantle Boat Harbour, Cornmeal Creek, Maroochydore, and other waterways around Australia.

Mark now lives and works on the Sunshine Coast. He has been the recipient of several Commonwealth Literary Fund Scholarships and has over a dozen books in print, the latest being: Pearson, M., & Wilson, H. [2009]. Using expressive arts to work with mind, body and emotions. Theory and practice. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. His PhD research explored using creative arts and multiple intelligence theory in support of enhancing the therapeutic alliance in counselling.

Mark is a Senior Lecturer in Counselling at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. He is the director of Expressive Therapies of Australia.

See more of Mark's background, courses and publications at: www.markpearson.com.au and at: www.expressivetherapies.com.au

photo of Mark [above] by Helen Wilson 2009