Mark Frank
biography |
portfolio | artists listing
b. 1949 Los Angeles, California
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2004, 2006 Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003, 2005 Turned Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2002-2003 Visions Gallery, Morro Bay, CA
2001-2002 Visions Gallery, Morro Bay, CA
1999-2005 Moonstones Gallery, Cambria, CA
1999 Mockingbird Gallery, Bend, OR
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1999 Starkey, Glen. "Millennium Wood - A Local Sculptor Carves Beauty Out Of 1,000–Year-Old Trees", New Times San Luis Obispo, 30 December
1986 Bond, Gonsalves. "A Salute To Mark Frank - A Very Special Person", Waterfront Scenes Cambria, 15 November
1981 Hillinger, Charles, "Unexpected is the Norm for Carver", Los Angeles Times, 11 November
1979 Carving A Career: He Makes a Living Chiseling, Telegram Tribune San Luis Obispo CA, 10 May
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in 1949 and raised in southern California, Mark Frank began his artistic journey in childhood. Constantly drawing and painting, he expanded on his grade school and high school art with after-school oil painting classes. His studies continued with a university education in art and ecology.
For the next 20 years, Frank explored an ecological approach as a general building contractor, never neglecting his passion for art, exploring the medium of relief carving. One of the first members of the California Carvers Guild, he produced countless carvings, which were sold in local galleries. During this period, he was hired by the California State Architect to carve 48 replacement corbels for the Hearst Castle and to rework a statue for St. Vincent's Hospital.
After interpreting the natural symmetry in this ancient wood, Frank then overlays the composed symmetry in art. His love of sculpting smooth open surfaces with interacting complex concave and convex curves gives rise to intricate combinations. These aesthetic shapes flow from one compound curve to the next and give the viewer infinite combinations to explore. Molds can then be taken from the wood sculpture and resin prototypes constructed for casting in metal. Where limited in wood, Frank's imagination is then freed to further refine the themes and symmetries.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Throughout my life, my two major passions have been nature and art. With my art, my constant theme is bringing into everyday life the enjoyment we all feel while experiencing nature. I began my artistic journey early on. Constantly drawing and painting, I reinforced grade and high school art with private after-school oil painting classes. My studies continued with a university education in both art and ecology.
The following years felt unresolved unless working on artistic endeavors. My work earning a living in ecology and construction was always matched with hours spent relief carving, deepening my skills in art. I found by drawing a line connecting moments of joy in my life, it always fell on times when I was artistically inspired. Extending that line into my future, showed the path I had to travel if I were to have a rewarding life, so at 45 years old, I became a full time artist, a choice that has given profound fulfillment.
Just as in viewing clouds, my wish is for each sculpture to be a journey for the viewer's imagination and insight. And as in viewing clouds, where everyone's experience is different, the viewer retains an inherent appreciation of nature. On this intrinsic level, my hope is that each sculpture connects us, through artistic understanding, to our world.
ABOUT THE WORK –Cast metal work
Upon completing a wood sculpture, I sometimes study the sculpture's theme and shape in metal. Where the wood's shape and structure are conditional on how the tree grew, metal sculpture can extend the shapes further into the symmetry and themes I explore.
The process of casting usually involves taking a direct cast (mold) of the sculpture to be reproduced. In my sculpture where the piece has hollow areas, a resin replica must first be made. With this process the wood original is spared. The resin replica can then be cut apart and separate molds taken of each section. While working in resin I can let my imagination go beyond the confines of the wood original.
ABOUT THE WORK –Millenium Wood work
While exploring the deep forests of the Northwest, I came across a unique variation of Ponderosa Pine. These ancient trees grow twisted by spending their lives on lava fields, and can reach ages exceeding thousands of years. Working with U.S. Forest Service permits, I only use pieces of naturally fallen trees. It was a fascination with the trees' interacting and spiraling patterns that ignited my imagination leading to becoming a full-time sculptor. I was given the nickname "Lavaman" by the locals due to the many expeditions onto the lava.
In these sculptures, I have found the essence in both nature and art. There exists symmetries in both, and those might be described as being instinctive and idyllic. I endeavor to celebrate that duality, encapsulate what we value in both, and produce forms that look both natural and meaningful. After interpreting the naturally balanced symmetry in this unique thousand-year-old wood, I then overlay the aesthetically pure symmetry found in composed art.
Due to the large investment in time taking a sculpture from the forest to the gallery, my production is limited to only a handful each year. In some cases, molds are taken from the more interesting shapes, and resin prototypes constructed for casting in metal. Where limited in wood, my imagination is then freed to further refine themes and symmetries.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2004, 2006 Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003, 2005 Turned Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2002-2003 Visions Gallery, Morro Bay, CA
2001-2002 Visions Gallery, Morro Bay, CA
1999-2005 Moonstones Gallery, Cambria, CA
1999 Mockingbird Gallery, Bend, OR
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1999 Starkey, Glen. "Millennium Wood - A Local Sculptor Carves Beauty Out Of 1,000–Year-Old Trees", New Times San Luis Obispo, 30 December
1986 Bond, Gonsalves. "A Salute To Mark Frank - A Very Special Person", Waterfront Scenes Cambria, 15 November
1981 Hillinger, Charles, "Unexpected is the Norm for Carver", Los Angeles Times, 11 November
1979 Carving A Career: He Makes a Living Chiseling, Telegram Tribune San Luis Obispo CA, 10 May
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in 1949 and raised in southern California, Mark Frank began his artistic journey in childhood. Constantly drawing and painting, he expanded on his grade school and high school art with after-school oil painting classes. His studies continued with a university education in art and ecology.
For the next 20 years, Frank explored an ecological approach as a general building contractor, never neglecting his passion for art, exploring the medium of relief carving. One of the first members of the California Carvers Guild, he produced countless carvings, which were sold in local galleries. During this period, he was hired by the California State Architect to carve 48 replacement corbels for the Hearst Castle and to rework a statue for St. Vincent's Hospital.
After interpreting the natural symmetry in this ancient wood, Frank then overlays the composed symmetry in art. His love of sculpting smooth open surfaces with interacting complex concave and convex curves gives rise to intricate combinations. These aesthetic shapes flow from one compound curve to the next and give the viewer infinite combinations to explore. Molds can then be taken from the wood sculpture and resin prototypes constructed for casting in metal. Where limited in wood, Frank's imagination is then freed to further refine the themes and symmetries.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Throughout my life, my two major passions have been nature and art. With my art, my constant theme is bringing into everyday life the enjoyment we all feel while experiencing nature. I began my artistic journey early on. Constantly drawing and painting, I reinforced grade and high school art with private after-school oil painting classes. My studies continued with a university education in both art and ecology.
The following years felt unresolved unless working on artistic endeavors. My work earning a living in ecology and construction was always matched with hours spent relief carving, deepening my skills in art. I found by drawing a line connecting moments of joy in my life, it always fell on times when I was artistically inspired. Extending that line into my future, showed the path I had to travel if I were to have a rewarding life, so at 45 years old, I became a full time artist, a choice that has given profound fulfillment.
Just as in viewing clouds, my wish is for each sculpture to be a journey for the viewer's imagination and insight. And as in viewing clouds, where everyone's experience is different, the viewer retains an inherent appreciation of nature. On this intrinsic level, my hope is that each sculpture connects us, through artistic understanding, to our world.
ABOUT THE WORK –Cast metal work
Upon completing a wood sculpture, I sometimes study the sculpture's theme and shape in metal. Where the wood's shape and structure are conditional on how the tree grew, metal sculpture can extend the shapes further into the symmetry and themes I explore.
The process of casting usually involves taking a direct cast (mold) of the sculpture to be reproduced. In my sculpture where the piece has hollow areas, a resin replica must first be made. With this process the wood original is spared. The resin replica can then be cut apart and separate molds taken of each section. While working in resin I can let my imagination go beyond the confines of the wood original.
ABOUT THE WORK –Millenium Wood work
While exploring the deep forests of the Northwest, I came across a unique variation of Ponderosa Pine. These ancient trees grow twisted by spending their lives on lava fields, and can reach ages exceeding thousands of years. Working with U.S. Forest Service permits, I only use pieces of naturally fallen trees. It was a fascination with the trees' interacting and spiraling patterns that ignited my imagination leading to becoming a full-time sculptor. I was given the nickname "Lavaman" by the locals due to the many expeditions onto the lava.
In these sculptures, I have found the essence in both nature and art. There exists symmetries in both, and those might be described as being instinctive and idyllic. I endeavor to celebrate that duality, encapsulate what we value in both, and produce forms that look both natural and meaningful. After interpreting the naturally balanced symmetry in this unique thousand-year-old wood, I then overlay the aesthetically pure symmetry found in composed art.
Due to the large investment in time taking a sculpture from the forest to the gallery, my production is limited to only a handful each year. In some cases, molds are taken from the more interesting shapes, and resin prototypes constructed for casting in metal. Where limited in wood, my imagination is then freed to further refine themes and symmetries.