Mark blends traditional and contemporary approaches to painting in his landscapes - fruit of twenty years of evolution as a professional artist-reflecting his unconventional background and adventurous life story.
Born in Germany, the son of an art historian Mark received a classical education, studying icon painting at the National Academy of Fine Arts in the Slovak Republic. Mark later moved to the US, where he continued to study painting and received an MFA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
During his years of travel throughout Mexico, Belize and Guatemala the meticulous layers of oil paints possible in the studio gave way to quick washes of more portable watercolors. This directness later translated back into oil paintings executed ‘a la prima’, equally suited for capturing the fleeting effects of light and to painting on location on beaches, jungles, archeological sites, vibrant colonial towns and most recently in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Mayan Highlands of southern Mexico, where Mark met his wife, lived for 8 years, taught art at the University of Chiapas, had a lasting impact on his approach. The bright southern light, brilliant color of traditional dress and architecture emboldened his palette and compositions, which aim to distill an abstract beauty from the observation of nature. Mark currently resides in Asheville, NC after returning from two years inTarragona, Catalunya on the mediterranean coast of Spain.
Mary Martin Gallery I is located on 103 Broad Street, Charleston, SC 29401 843-723-0303
Mary Martin Gallery IIis located at 143 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Mary Martin Galleries have been selected as the best galleries in South Carolina for thirteen years in a row and amd selected as one of the top 20 galleries in the nation, Also, MMG has been selected as the best gallery by several local publications.