Mark Gardner
biography |
portfolio | artists listing
b. 1973, Cincinnati, Ohio
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR
Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA
The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY
WoodTurning Center, Philadelphia, PA
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2008 Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Wood Takes Root, St. George Art Museum, St. George, UT
2007 Woodturning In Basic Black, AAW Exhibition, SOFA Exposition, Chicago, IL
Turning Green, AAW Exhibition, Hoffman Gallery, Portland, OR
2005 Connections: International Turning Exchange
1995-05 Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
Wood Sculpture: A Rhythmic Weave of the Elements, The Upstairs Gallery, Tryon, NC
Masters of Wood Art III, Finer Things Gallery, Nashville, TN
2004 The Language of Wood, WDO, Charlotte, NC
Works by Mark Gardner/Erik Volken, Kipp Gallery, Indiana, PA
Celebrating Contemporary Craft, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR
2003-04 Turned Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2002-04 Turned Wood - Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Wood Currents, Andora Gallery, Carefree, AZ
A Way With Nature, Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC
Masters of Wood Art II, Finer Things Gallery, Nashville, TN
2002 Contemporary Works in Wood, The Ironwood Gallery, Ridgefield, CT
Contemporary Wood Turning, Wave Gallery, New Haven, CT
New Talents in Craft II, Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI
Yale Collects Wood: Gifts from the Collection of John and Robyn Horn,
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
Branching Out: Contemporary Wood Turning in 2002
Ellipse Art Center, Arlington, VA
New 3, Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC
2001 alTURNatives, Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
Turned Multiples II, Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
Summer Invitational, Avante Gallery, Cleveland, OH
A Way With Wood, The Signature Shop & Gallery, Atlanta, GA
National Woodturning Show, Euro Galleries, MN
2000 Hot Tea!, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Turned Wood - Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Horizons 2000, Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, CT
Studio Wood/The New Frontier, Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2008 New Masters of Woodturning, Kevin Wallace & Terry Martin, Fox Chapel Publishing
2005 Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia Newsletter, June, Atlanta, GA
Connections: International Turning Exchange 1995-05 Wood Turning Center
American Art Collector, Volume 1 Book 4, Alcove Books
2004 500 Wood Bowls, Lark Books
2003 Berkshire Woodworkers' Guild Newsletter, January, Berkshire, MA
2002 Scratching the Surface: Art and Content in Contemporary Wood, Michael Hosaluk,
Guild Publishing
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Saluda, North Carolina, a small town of 650 residents, is the home of Mark Gardner. It is located in western North Carolina, near Asheville. Being surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains is inspirational to a woodturner. Mark’s house is nestled in a hollow between two hills. Surrounded by trees, many of them quite old and large, it has a lush feeling to it, so much so that in Autumn when the leaves fall Mark looks forward to the broad sky of the winter landscape. His 300 square foot studio, located in his garage, is packed with woodworking equipment, wood, and pieces in progress. In warm weather he can open the garage door and work beneath the Japanese maple and Cherry trees.
Mark started working in wood at the age of sixteen when he enrolled in a furniture making class with his father at the University of Cincinnati. Furniture making is a slow process, and the immediacy of turning was very attractive to Mark. After struggling on his own for several years, Mark took a class with John Jordan at Arrowmont School for Arts and Crafts. He credits John for giving him a firm foundation of turning techniques. John’s passion and commitment to his work continues to inspire Mark.
Mark acknowledges that John Jordan’s work had a big influence on the vessels he made over the next few years. The work of turner Clay Foster and furniture maker Kristina Madsen inspired Mark to consider carving the surface of his work. This led him to study African and Oceanic artifacts in museums and books. “I’m drawn to the rhythm of repeated carved patterns on ceremonial and utilitarian objects.” Another important influence was Stoney Lamar. “For six years my studio was in Stoney Lamar’s shop. The biggest impact he had on me was his approach to the lathe. He considers it a tool for carving as opposed to turning. This perspective inspired me to experiment with other tools off the lathe to the point where the lathe has become just a place to begin. Although I see the lathe as my primary tool, and I still really enjoy the process of turning, most of the time spent working on a piece occurs after the turning. I work from sketches as well as designing directly on the lathe. The latter is much more immediate and satisfying, but I find drawing to be a useful way of recording ideas when I’m unable to be in the studio.”
When Mark started turning he only used green wood because it was easily available. Over the years he has used more seasoned wood. This brings its own problems. “Dry material is hard to come by in large dimensions. I think this influences the work, as not every piece I want to make could come out of any random piece of wood. So, in a way, working with wood the way I do is a bit like using found objects in sculpture. I like that the material differs from species to species, and tree to tree, which presents new challenges and opportunities. I may have an idea for a piece and have to let it sit in a sketchbook until the right piece of wood appears. In other cases a piece of wood, its size and proportions, may suggest a particular approach to me and send me off in a whole new direction.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My work continues a series of highly carved and patterned vessels. The inspiration behind these pieces comes from several sources including the art of Benin, Africa and the islands of the South Pacific. I am attracted to the rhythm of the repeated patterns carved on various ceremonial objects. I like the subtle quality of the carving, like the black on black ceramics of the Southwest. That you may not notice how intricate some of the work is until you are right next to the piece, is for me, an important aspect of the finished piece. Combining a monochrome surface with the precise carving gives the work a quiet strength.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR
Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA
The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY
WoodTurning Center, Philadelphia, PA
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2008 Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Wood Takes Root, St. George Art Museum, St. George, UT
2007 Woodturning In Basic Black, AAW Exhibition, SOFA Exposition, Chicago, IL
Turning Green, AAW Exhibition, Hoffman Gallery, Portland, OR
2005 Connections: International Turning Exchange
1995-05 Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
Wood Sculpture: A Rhythmic Weave of the Elements, The Upstairs Gallery, Tryon, NC
Masters of Wood Art III, Finer Things Gallery, Nashville, TN
2004 The Language of Wood, WDO, Charlotte, NC
Works by Mark Gardner/Erik Volken, Kipp Gallery, Indiana, PA
Celebrating Contemporary Craft, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR
2003-04 Turned Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2002-04 Turned Wood - Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Wood Currents, Andora Gallery, Carefree, AZ
A Way With Nature, Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC
Masters of Wood Art II, Finer Things Gallery, Nashville, TN
2002 Contemporary Works in Wood, The Ironwood Gallery, Ridgefield, CT
Contemporary Wood Turning, Wave Gallery, New Haven, CT
New Talents in Craft II, Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI
Yale Collects Wood: Gifts from the Collection of John and Robyn Horn,
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
Branching Out: Contemporary Wood Turning in 2002
Ellipse Art Center, Arlington, VA
New 3, Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC
2001 alTURNatives, Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
Turned Multiples II, Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
Summer Invitational, Avante Gallery, Cleveland, OH
A Way With Wood, The Signature Shop & Gallery, Atlanta, GA
National Woodturning Show, Euro Galleries, MN
2000 Hot Tea!, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Turned Wood - Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Horizons 2000, Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, CT
Studio Wood/The New Frontier, Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2008 New Masters of Woodturning, Kevin Wallace & Terry Martin, Fox Chapel Publishing
2005 Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia Newsletter, June, Atlanta, GA
Connections: International Turning Exchange 1995-05 Wood Turning Center
American Art Collector, Volume 1 Book 4, Alcove Books
2004 500 Wood Bowls, Lark Books
2003 Berkshire Woodworkers' Guild Newsletter, January, Berkshire, MA
2002 Scratching the Surface: Art and Content in Contemporary Wood, Michael Hosaluk,
Guild Publishing
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Saluda, North Carolina, a small town of 650 residents, is the home of Mark Gardner. It is located in western North Carolina, near Asheville. Being surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains is inspirational to a woodturner. Mark’s house is nestled in a hollow between two hills. Surrounded by trees, many of them quite old and large, it has a lush feeling to it, so much so that in Autumn when the leaves fall Mark looks forward to the broad sky of the winter landscape. His 300 square foot studio, located in his garage, is packed with woodworking equipment, wood, and pieces in progress. In warm weather he can open the garage door and work beneath the Japanese maple and Cherry trees.
Mark started working in wood at the age of sixteen when he enrolled in a furniture making class with his father at the University of Cincinnati. Furniture making is a slow process, and the immediacy of turning was very attractive to Mark. After struggling on his own for several years, Mark took a class with John Jordan at Arrowmont School for Arts and Crafts. He credits John for giving him a firm foundation of turning techniques. John’s passion and commitment to his work continues to inspire Mark.
Mark acknowledges that John Jordan’s work had a big influence on the vessels he made over the next few years. The work of turner Clay Foster and furniture maker Kristina Madsen inspired Mark to consider carving the surface of his work. This led him to study African and Oceanic artifacts in museums and books. “I’m drawn to the rhythm of repeated carved patterns on ceremonial and utilitarian objects.” Another important influence was Stoney Lamar. “For six years my studio was in Stoney Lamar’s shop. The biggest impact he had on me was his approach to the lathe. He considers it a tool for carving as opposed to turning. This perspective inspired me to experiment with other tools off the lathe to the point where the lathe has become just a place to begin. Although I see the lathe as my primary tool, and I still really enjoy the process of turning, most of the time spent working on a piece occurs after the turning. I work from sketches as well as designing directly on the lathe. The latter is much more immediate and satisfying, but I find drawing to be a useful way of recording ideas when I’m unable to be in the studio.”
When Mark started turning he only used green wood because it was easily available. Over the years he has used more seasoned wood. This brings its own problems. “Dry material is hard to come by in large dimensions. I think this influences the work, as not every piece I want to make could come out of any random piece of wood. So, in a way, working with wood the way I do is a bit like using found objects in sculpture. I like that the material differs from species to species, and tree to tree, which presents new challenges and opportunities. I may have an idea for a piece and have to let it sit in a sketchbook until the right piece of wood appears. In other cases a piece of wood, its size and proportions, may suggest a particular approach to me and send me off in a whole new direction.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My work continues a series of highly carved and patterned vessels. The inspiration behind these pieces comes from several sources including the art of Benin, Africa and the islands of the South Pacific. I am attracted to the rhythm of the repeated patterns carved on various ceremonial objects. I like the subtle quality of the carving, like the black on black ceramics of the Southwest. That you may not notice how intricate some of the work is until you are right next to the piece, is for me, an important aspect of the finished piece. Combining a monochrome surface with the precise carving gives the work a quiet strength.