Selected Works · 2026
Baptism
Baptism: Water, Mind, and the Sacred Feminine.
Seven works. One continuous horizon.
48 × 16 in · Archival Pigment Print
Signature piece · Horizontal panoramic
Triptych — Works 02, 03, 04
12 × 24 in · Archival Pigment Print
Left panel
12 × 24 in · Archival Pigment Print
Center panel · Sacred anchor
12 × 24 in · Archival Pigment Print
Right panel
Displayed as a unified altarpiece — the waterline reads as one continuous horizon across all three panels.
15 × 20 in · Archival Pigment Print
Station piece
15 × 36 in · Archival Pigment Print
Station piece
16 × 30 in · Archival Pigment Print
Closing piece
Installation Note — Works 02, 03 & 04
Select bubble and droplet elements in Mind, Body, and Soul are treated with UV-reactive paint, transforming water particles into stars under altered lighting. These pieces require controlled ambient light.
Artist's Statement
"Water does not merely surround us. It remembers us. It carried us into the world, it washes away what we were, and it whispers through the ancient texts as an image of the mind made new. This work lives in that mystery."
— Mark Cardwell
These images explore the baptism — the thin and holy place where one state of being becomes another. The surface of the water is not a boundary but a site of transformation. We are born through the breaking of water. We are reborn through its blessing.
I place the baptism deliberately. In these images, the waters meet the eyes, the forehead, the mind. The transformation I am exploring is not merely of the body but of perception itself — the veil lifted not from the face but from the way we see.
Women have always been the living carriers of this mystery. They hold water within them. They bring life through water. This series participates in that long tradition, particularly through the lens of the Black Madonna: she who contains multitudes, who is ancient before the ancient world, who births light from darkness.
The medium is Promptography — a practice I define as collaborative image-making between human vision and artificial intelligence. I bring the concept, the theology, the aesthetic intention, the emotional truth I am pursuing. The AI brings an inexhaustible capacity for visual interpretation. Together we find images that neither of us could have made alone.
Cardwell holds a BFA and has worked with traditional art materials — drawing, painting, and mixed media — over many years alongside his career in strategic communications. Baptism: Water, Mind, and the Sacred Feminine is his first exhibition in Promptography, a medium he has spent the past several years defining and refining.
"These women are not drowning. They are arriving."
Mark Cardwell
Cardwell Communications LLC
What is
Promptography?
01
Conceive
A vision forms — a feeling, a theological question, a scene that must exist.
02
Compose
Language is crafted with precision. The prompt is the lens. Every word carries intention.
03
Iterate
Dozens of generations. The artist curates, refines, and pursues the original emotional truth.
04
Arrive
The singular image that captures what neither human nor machine could have made alone.
Limited Editions · Archival Pigment Prints
Collect
Each print is a numbered, signed archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm, printed with UltraChrome pigment inks rated for 200+ years. Certificate of authentication included. Prices listed are for unframed prints. Framing consultation available on request. For triptych acquisition, international shipping, or institutional inquiries, please contact the artist directly.
Triptych Acquisition
Works 02, 03, and 04 (Mind, Body, Soul) are available individually at the prices listed above, or as a complete triptych set for $2,200 — a savings of $450 versus purchasing separately. The triptych is designed to hang edge-to-edge so the waterline reads as one continuous horizon across all three panels. Please inquire for triptych acquisition and installation guidance.
Complete Collection
All seven works are available as a complete collection acquisition for $7,500 — a savings of $1,300 versus individual purchase. Reserved for serious collectors and institutional acquisitions. Please inquire directly to discuss availability, installation, and provenance documentation.
Medium
Archival Pigment Print
Paper
Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm
Inks
UltraChrome pigment, 200+ year rating
Authentication
Hand-numbered, signed, certificate included
Summer Exhibition · 2026
The Black Madonna
& Other Sacred Spaces
Opening
July 2026
Duration
Summer 2026
Works
7 works · Archival prints
Medium
Promptography
Seven works exploring the baptism between worlds — where water meets mind, where the seen meets the unseen, where the human meets the divine. The exhibition includes a panoramic signature piece, a three-panel altarpiece triptych, and two station pieces with luminescent paint treatment that transforms under altered light.
The triptych (Mind, Body, Soul) hangs as a unified altarpiece — the waterline reading as one continuous horizon across all three panels. A low table with curated objects will be positioned before it.
Installation Notes
The Triptych
Works 02, 03, 04 displayed as a unified altarpiece, hung edge-to-edge so the waterline reads as one continuous horizon. A low table with curated objects is positioned in front.
Luminescent Treatment
Works 02, 03, and 04 (Mind, Body, Soul) feature UV-reactive paint on select bubble and droplet elements, transforming water particles into stars under altered lighting. Controlled ambient light required.
General
All prints are lightweight archival pigment prints. The artist is available to discuss placement and sequencing with the venue coordinator prior to installation.
Get in Touch
Contact
For print acquisitions, exhibition inquiries, press, or to RSVP for the opening, please reach out directly. Mark responds personally to every message.
Studio
Mark Cardwell Studio
Exhibition
The Black Madonna & Other Sacred Spaces
Summer 2026 · Limited edition prints available at the show and online