Painting has always been a fundamental element of Marcus Jefferies's diverse practice. Quietly complementing large sculptural installations, his canvases serve as blueprints or preliminary ideas for 3D works, real or imagined.

Jefferies's recent paintings portray architectural objects and environments as totemic sculptures within dark theatrical stage sets reminiscent of vanitas still lives. This subject matter often materialises from periods of research and exploration of sites and places. These environments can be urban or rural but generally centre around a building or structure with a sense of aura or psychological charge.