ARTIST PROFILE
About Mark And His Work
Mark has resided in the Twentynine Palms, California area for nearly 40 years.
Artistic Background
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Mark has been sculpting in metal and exhibiting his work since the 1970's. His first public exhibit was in Santa Barbara. A more recent exhibit history local to the 29 Palms area includes the Sun Gallery, The Park Center Gallery, The Joshua Tree National Park Art Festival, and the MBCAC fall studio tours. Mark studied sculpting with Steve Rieman at Copper Mountain College in the 1990's.
Medium
All of Mark's work in metal is fabricated from recycled metals, including the incorporation of some found objects. Most of the work was fabricated partially or entirely in aluminum or bronze using foundry sand casting processes. A comprehensive listing of media includes aluminum, steel, bronze, copper, wood, and ceramic.
Influences
The desert itself has been the primary and enduring source of inspiration. The natural scenic beauty, profound silence, sweeping vistas, and day to day interaction with the remarkable flora and fauna unique to the Mojave desert have all left their mark on my work. The simple yet profound icons left behind by the area's indigenous peoples have proved a powerful source of inspiration as well. Contemporary human influences would include Steve Rieman and Noah Purifoy.
Theme & Expression
Desert Mandalas Revisited; a Journey to healing. Most of the raw materials used to create this collection of work, including some of the precursor media used in fabrication and finishing were derived as contemporary discarded flotsam collected from desert wild lands and open spaces where is was not meant to be. The process of collection, repurposing, and interpreting the desert has been a journey of healing for both the land and the artist. The desert is timeless yet paradoxically a source of renewal and healing for those who care for her.
Where and When
The work featured on this site was all created at my studio in Wonder Valley between the year 2000 up to present.
Mood
Adjectives that come to mind would be timeless, spiritual, primitive, and primal. A sense of wonder and on occasion the whimsical comes to play as well.
Additional Information
Mark first exhibited his work in Santa Barbara during the early 1970's. Mark's enchantment with California's Mojave Desert prompted his move to Wonder Valley.
Mark's Studio is set in a scenic rural desert setting, and much of his art reflects that. Mark draws upon the deep cultural and natural history of the desert for inspiration.
Mark's work may have seen former life as car parts, broken furniture, old plumbing, salvaged window frames, wiring scraps, and even cat food cans. Most of this material is cast into new form, but found objects are some times incorporated unchanged. Mark's residence and studio both utilize solar electric power as a primary source of electricity.
Mark's work was exhibited in the Brazilian Embassy and the residence of Vice President Al and Tipper Gore in Washington DC as part of a tenth anniversary observation of the Americans With Disabilities Act in July 2000.