In December of 2000 my family and I endured a plane crash when returning from a trip to Costa Rica. I went back into the burning plane to rescue my mother who was severely injured, and upon doing so I noticed embers of the plane still burning on the forest floor. These embers were some of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. When I returned home to my studio I began trying to emulate the beauty I saw in those fragments in my art.
This event marks the moment when my life almost ended and the work began.
about the artist
After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1996 I began making large, abstract paintings while completing residencies in Providence, Rhode Island and Paris, France. Beginning in those years and continuing for the next ten years I developed an emulsion which I now use to cover my wooden objects and paper assemblages. I then grind pigments onto the recipe and ignite it. The heat liquifies the pigment and binds it to the emulsion which becomes a permanent and archival coating to these works. Repeating the process instantly changes the appearance of the piece, making new seem ancient. Using the charring process on my raw wooden sculptures without the pigment and emulsion has also brought about unique results. Again, an element of deception: the wooden pieces appear to be metal. While material slight of hand is not my intent for these pieces I find the phenomena intriguing -- and catalysts for conversation and growth in my work.
I'm lucky -- my life has been peppered with monumental, and so far survivable, events. I find nothing more satisfying than breathing their energy into structure.
Training and Professional History
- Bachelor of Fine Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, 1996
- Artist in Residence, Rhode Island School for the Deaf (1996-1998)
- Sponsored Artist in Residence, Paris France (1999-2000)
- Instructor, Johns Hopkins University Odyssey Program (2001-2003)
- Adjunct Faculty, Corcoran College of Art and Design (2002-2003)
- Adjunct Faculty, George Mason University (2004-2005)
Awards
- Winner of the Jury Prize, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts
- Jury Prize in Sculpture from the Towson Arts Collective, presented by the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Commercial Design
- Planned, fabricated and supervised the installation of a 21 foot lobby sculpture in Crystal City, VA
- Developed a ten piece installation project in a mixed use Baltimore property
- Served as an artistic design consultant for Kroiz Architecture of Baltimore
- Founder, Mark Art LLC, the holding company for a Baltimore combined living and studio space for urban artists
the work
Meander SeriesMy children and I have been spending tons of time on our longboards. Carving deep, beautiful turns together on our boards is an amazing sensation, especially when I turn around to see them learning, smiling-enjoying the ride. The activity is not unlike sidewalk surfing-which is good because I always identified myself as a surfer. There was only one problem -- I couldn't surf.
I remember learning to fly-fish with my father. Learning the action of the water, where the fish are. Mimicking bugs with our flies. For many years we flew to Northeastern Quebec to fish. Swooping low over vast, unpopulated terrain with nothing but caribou herds and the occasional timber wolf to break the eerie stillness of the land. And yes, rivers. It is no mystery to me why the meander finds its way into my work. Winding its way through the picture. Unifying compositions, just as the view from many bush planes captivated my imagination.
YeahWelded pigment on Arches 300HP WC paper 2010 16.5"w. x 47.5"h. |
BiancaWelded pigment on Arches 300HP WC paper 2009 14"w. x 47.5"h. |
Bianca (Detail) |
UntitledWelded pigment on Arches 300HP WC paper 2008 14"w. x 47"h. |
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Thoughts SeriesI feel very lucky to have grown up in Michigan. Our family farm in the northern-most tip of the lower peninsula provided fertile ground for my imagination. The woods, lakes and rivers fueled my ideas and the physical upkeep of the cherry orchard and gardens gave me an early education in the pleasures of physical labor, tools, the natural world and my position in it. Every year my father would till the fields and collect ancient objects unearthed in the process-rusted tools and farming relics from years long gone. He would assemble them on peg boards in what seemed to him as a random order. But to my eye they were compositions rich in texture and visual information. My first taste of abstraction. The pieces in this project recall my memories of these objects and my budding need to make sculpture.
Dark ThoughtsCharred birch 2008 Installation: 47" x 30" |
Dark Thoughts (Detail) |
ThoughtsWelded pigment on birch 2008 Installation: 54"h x 78"w. |
Ghost MarketIn 1998 I attempted, and was largely successful, in walking the length of Madagascar. About mid way through the adventure I stumbled into a village during their weekly market, so festive and lively I inquired of one of the village elders whether or not this was a celebration of some sort, and did it have a name. He just smiled and said: "Sure son, this is the Ghost Market." There were many moments in that trip that were magical...this was one of them. |
Ghost Market (Detail)Welded pigment on birch 2010, measureing 53 inches in height and 28 inches in width. |
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A New Kind of Thunder (Detail)From 2010, measuring 60 inches in width and 40 inches in height. |
Strength in Fragility #7Welded pigment on birch 2010 3"w. x 19"h. |
Always Put Your Right Foot Forward (Even if it's the Left One) |
Silver Maple See ThroughOne of three pieces selected for permanent installation in the new Fitzgerald Building on Mt. Royal Ave in Baltimore. |
Silver Maple See Through (Detail)Constucted of charred maple in 2010, measuring 47 inches in height and 22 inches in width. |
Silver Maple See Through (Installed)As seen installed in the building. |
Late Night Tacos |
Never Start at the EndConstructed of charred oak in 2010, measuring 20 inches in height and 102 inches in width. The triplicate shadows were such a welcome accident to this piece. |
Never Start at the End (Installed)As seen in it's permanent place at the Fitzgerald Building in Baltimore. The conference room wall is adorned with this 30"h x 105"w version of 'Never Start at the End' purchased directly by the client. The interior designer commissioned a woven leather wall which created an incredible backdrop for the piece; textures and shadows talking to each other made for a truly sexy installation. |
Smile Pretty and Watch Your Back (Travel Tips)The third piece selected for permanent display in the Fitzgerald building on Mt. Royal Ave in Baltimore. The spaces selected for my work were a dream. Stunning down lighting brought out the many nuances of this charred gourd piece. |
Smile Pretty and Watch Your Back (Travel Tips) (Detail)Constructed from charred gourd, measuring 37 inches in height and 12 inches in width. |
Smile Pretty and Watch Your Back (Travel Tips) (Installed)As seen installed in the building. |
We're Not Here Very Long So We Might As Well Show Some StyleThese works reflect the synergy I feel between the traditional substrate of paper and the non-traditional process that I use to make my work. These pieces quietly reference the times and places that ignited in me the first spark to make them. Welded pigment on Arches 300HP WC paper 2009 6"w. x 22"h. |
T-Bone's RequestI have been interested in tackling a room-divider project for some time now. When my son, T-Bone and I were walking down the street one day he remarked on how he would love to grab the cracks in the street and hold them up in three dimensions. This is my vertical interpretation of cracks in the street, and a tribute to the coolest 9 year old ever. Truly, I didn't think I could do it. But I did and the process reminded me that the only way to tackle the impossible is to think that it is possible. |
T-Bone's Request (Detail)Constructed from charred oak in 2010, measuring 72 inches in height and 88 inches in width. |
Hell Yes. (Yeah, That's It).This was a stubborn piece, but I am a stubborn man. After the final attempt to resolve this piece, the shop was filled with smoke and I couldn't see the result, but when I did see it the only words that came to my head were: "Hell yes!" |
Hell Yes. (Yeah, That's It). (Detail)Welded pigment on birch 2009, measuring 17" inches in height and 24 inches in width. |
Pancakes and Beer |
Sunrise, and I'm Still Dancin'...This piece represents the fusion of my pigmented works and my charred works. I have always been attracted to circular forms as a viewer, and as a sculptor. It is clear that everything in nature wants to be round, and as a man who gains inspiration and confidence from the natural world it seems only fitting to tackle the circle as a sculptural object. |
Sunrise, and I'm Still Dancin'... (Detail)Constructed from charred oak, welded pigment. Measuring 27 inches in diameter. |
Divide Your Life by Your Death and You Get a CircleSuch a challenging piece, but what fun to carve freely on an enormous slab of beautifully laminated oak. Deliciously velvety sheen when charred. Many viewers remarked on this piece's resemblance to iron, and were shocked to see it secured to the wall with just one little pin. It weighs 7 ounces. 50" Diameter. |
Clementine RemarksWelded pigment on birch 2010 Installation: 34"h. x 14"w. Flight, growth, evolution-some of the words that come to mind when I look at this piece. These pieces begged to be installed together and were a stunning addition to one of my recent exhibitions. |
...And the Devil Shook His Head and SmiledWhile invited to Paris by Herve', a collector, to scope a commission... passing a street under construction where a pneumatic machine had made impact with the sidewalk. From my vantage point it was turned on it's axis, circular indentation in the middle, radiating cracks...the moment where this piece began. |
...And the Devil Shook His Head and Smiled (Detail)Made in 2010 from charred birch, measuring 30.5 x 30.5". |
Breathe, and Everything Changes My first circle sculpture. It did not have a title when I hung it above my fireplace, but when I stepped away to take a look a remarkable, zen-like sensation came over me. The title is reflective of that moment, and the calming affect it has on the room in which it hangs. |
Breathe, and Everything Changes (Detail)Constructed of charred oak in 2010, measuring 37 inches in diameter. |
A New Kind of ThunderWelded pigment and organic material on Arches 300HP WC paper |
Sculptural Maturity in the Natural World
(A Walk in the Woods, Part 1)On one of our daily strolls through the woods, my dog, Mose, and I found ourselves in a rather unusual mind-space. It was a flat gray morning, brutally cold, and the trees seemed to shiver as we scurried by. Then a woman passed by and flashed a smile so lovely it seemed the whole world broke its icy embrace to stop and stare... |
Sculptural Maturity in the Natural World
(A Walk in the Woods, Part 1)...When we shook our trance, we noted a thin autumn sun had peered through the clouds and illuminated leaves, branches and botanicals back-lit against the sky. My spine tingled, and Mose agreed with the look on my face that said 'gotta carve'. This piece is reflective of those forms, strong yet fragile. Thanks to my trusted companion, Mose, and the nameless woman of notable beauty that helped me find my voice on a day when I would normally have had nothing to say. Constructed of charred birch in 2010. Installation: 47"h. x 8.5"w. |
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upcoming events
Art Under Glass
The Great Outdoors
presented by:
The Baltimore Conservatory Association
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens
3100 Swan Drive, Druid Hill Park
Baltimore, MD 21217
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Brunch with artists and preview exhibition
$100 per person
reserved tickets
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Art exhibition and sale with refreshments
$30 per person in advance
$40 at the door
For tickets, click here or visit The Conservatory.
or checks for will call to BCA @ P.O. Box 5668, Baltimore, MD 21210
Credit cards are accepted at the event (sorry, no American Express)
Proceeds and 30% of the artwork sales will benefit children and adult programs
The Morris And Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center
The Department of Visual Arts and Design Presents:
3 x 2D - Themes and Variations of Organic Shape
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
King Street Art Gallery
Gallery Hours
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Location
The galleries are located on the ground floor of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center on the west side of the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus
off Georgia Avenue at 930 King Street.
For maps and parking information, click here.
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