Mark DeMuro Monkey Series Page

Monkey Series The first monkey paintings were based on a Sock Monkey that I bought at a flea market in Miami. I liked that it was a popular rural toy, a home-made stuffed animal. I got baby shoes for it, and made it into the Monkey Jar sculpture. It was soon broken coming back from a show. I missed it and began making paintings based on the toy monkey image, involving structure, repetition, and reflection. In the twin (double) image paintings, I painted with my left and right hands to make the opposing sides, intrigued to see the results play off each other. The toy monkeys gradually evolved into more human appearing surrogates as I explored the monkey motif's ability to accommodate portraiture, narration, and expressions of the human predicament. All works © Mark DeMuro. Click on images to enlarge
Big Monkey 1984	White Monkey Cultured 1982-92	Applicant 1982-84	White Monkey (Blue) 2007

Red Jacket 1984-99	Party Hat 1982	Strip Poker 2007	Monkey Luck: Lucky 7s 2003

Two Candidates 2007	Monkey Sculpture 1992	Monkey Sculpture 1992	Daguerre and What's His Name 1990s

Double Monkey Jar 1982	Monkey Monkey I 1981	Monkey Monkey II 1981	Double Red Monkey Sampler 1982

Curled Monkey Tail Split 1982	Grey Monkey Pink Monkey 1981	Russian Split 1982	Monkey Split Blues 1981

Monkey Love	Monkey in Palm Tree Frame 2002	Party Monkey 2003	Angel 1998-99

Selling Secrets 1984-99	Monkey in Black Tie 1982	Red Monkey Jar 1980s	Monkeys in Camouflage I 2003

Bright Little Monkey 2004	Monkey in a Striped Shirt 2003	Earnest 2003	Monkey Fifth Avenue 2004

Genie Monkey 2003	Grumpy Monkey 2003	Little Monkey on Pink 2003	Lunar Monkey 2003

Monkey in a Bonnet 2003	Monkey in a Flower Hat 2004	Monkey in a Pinstripe Suit 2003	Monkey in Epaulettes 2003

Monkey in Mink 2003	Monkey in November 2003	Monkey in Pearls 2003	Monkey in Springtime 2003

Monkey in the Grass 2003	Monkey in Winter 2003	Monkey Jock 2004	Monkey Smokin' a Stogie 2003

Monkey with a Toothpick 2008	Monkey with Blue Flower 2003	Vincent 1980s	Pink Monkey on Red 2008

Smokin' 2003	The Graduate 2003	Yellow Monkey 2003	Architect with Glass House 2003

Crawling Baby Monkey 2004	First Father's Day 2004	Corporate Espionage 2007	Monkey Munch 2000

Paradigm Shift 2006-07	Formal Family Portrait 2000	Monkey Island 2001	Red Monkey Family 1999

Outdoor Sculpture 2007	Garden Painting 1999	Newton 2002