Mark Mitchell
Mark Mitchell
St Petersburg, FL, United States
About Mark Mitchell
I am a multimedia artist, specializing in painting Conceptual Pop Art, as seen during ART BASEL MIAMI at SCOPE and SELECT FAIR, SEE | ME Exhibitions at THE LOUVRE and ARMORY ARTS WEEK NYC, GASPARILLA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, TAMPA and featured on FOX13-TV GOOD MORNING TAMPA BAY. As a Pratt graduate, SVA student and former advertising Creative Director, I have spent my career honing my visual and communication skills. Always in pursuit of “The Big Idea”, I have learned how to put concept first, and manipulate imagery to surprise, provoke and reward the viewer. Whether the medium is painting, photography, design, music, spoken word or video, I reach for everything in the toolbox that can help achieve that goal — sometimes all of the above. Today, my approach as an artist is to draw on the power of mass media and pop culture, while repurposing its icons, imagery and techniques to deliver a more personal artistic statement. Through the use of meaningful juxtaposition and social commentary, my work is an exploration of the irony, contradiction, parallels and harmony to be found in 21st-century life. ARTIST STATEMENT Look deeper. In a world where we are bombarded every day by images through mass media, what makes any single image resonate with the viewer? What makes it meaningful? What makes it memorable? The art that has always appealed to me has never been just a pretty picture. It's had some extra intangible quality that gave me pause to reflect. Some unique perspective, sense of mystery, an ironic twist or surprising technique that required me to stop, pay close attention, and actually think. I can remember the first time I saw James Rosenquist's House Of Fire at The Met in NYC. Amazed by the bold colorful advertising-style imagery on such a grand scale, it was instantly appealing to me. I didn't understand its oddly juxtaposed imagery, but it was powerful nonetheless"”perhaps even more so than the commercial billboards that would compete for my attention as I gazed out the car window on family road trips. Later I discovered Rosenquist was a former billboard painter, and had decided to subvert those same images to an unsettling, mysterious effect"”rather than use them to sell us something we may not need. Similarly, other modern and contemporary artists have revealed their own unique vision. Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans and Magritte's The Treachery Of Images forced us to reconsider exactly what art is, or can be. Dali's The Persistence of Memory challenged our perception of space and time. Picasso's Guernica shed light on the effects of a violent revolution, while presenting it in a way never seen before. And Banksy has reinvented street art as a vehicle for high-concept socio-political protest. This kind of eye-opening art can be especially meaningful today, when it's becoming increasingly difficult to take anything at face value. We are living in a land of artifice. Spin is the order of the day, as we find ourselves surrounded by a circus of Hollywood celebrities, marketers, politicians, pop stars and special-interest groups"”all out to convince us that their story is the one to believe. But when we pull back the curtain, we often find that what we see, is not nearly what we get. At its core, my work is an attempt at a wake-up-call, by exposing things that may otherwise be hidden from view. Each piece is intended to catch you, the viewer off-guard, invite you in for further exploration of its elements, and challenge you to make connections, find meaning, and ultimately see differently some aspect of the world in which we live.
Education:
Pratt Institute, New York, NY
School Of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Exhibitions:
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
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2019
UPCOMING: ART NASHVILLE
Featured Artist @ 1st Annual International Art Fair
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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2018
REALIZE BRADENTON: PUBLIC ART
Jury-Selected Artist for Public Art Commission
Bradenton, FL
GREAT BAY COMMISSION
Original Piece Commissioned for Corporate Collection
Great Bay Distributing, St Petersburg, FL
“FLORIDA’S FINEST”, SARASOTA
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD in Juried Exhibition
Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL
BG GALLERY, SANTA MONICA
Featured Artist in “STRIPES” Group Exhibition
BG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
ART FESTIVAL BETH-EL
HONOR AWARD: 2nd PLACE ARTIST IN SHOW
Featured Artist @ 45th Annual Art Festival
Temple Beth-El, St Petersburg, FL
“SURREAL SALON 10” JURIED BY RON ENGLISH
Featured Artist in Group Exhibition
Baton Rouge Gallery, Baton Rouge, LA
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2017
ARTSLANT PRIZE SHOWCASE WINNER
Paintings Selected by Curators
Featured in Juried Rounds 3, 4, 5, 6
FANTASTIC EKPHRASTIC @ SOFT WATER STUDIOS
“THE DAILY GRIND” - 8' X 3' Diptych Painting
WINNER: PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
3rd Annual Multidisciplinary Group Exhibition + Performance
Soft Water Studios, St. Petersburg, FL
SUBTEXT @ RED DOOR NO. 5
The Conceptual Pop Art of Mark Mitchell | Solo Exhibit
Red Door No. 5 Gallery, Tampa, FL
6TH ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION @ JF GALLERY
“INFORMATION AGE” + “CRUSH KILL DESTROY”
Two Paintings Featured in Group Exhibit
JF Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL
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2016
ONGOING: ARTICLES GALLERY
Original Paintings + Complete Portfolio on Display
Featured Artist on Gallery Website
ARTicles Gallery, St Petersburg, FL
ARTSLANT PRIZE SHOWCASE 3 WINNER
“INFORMATION AGE” Painting Selected by Curators
Featured in Juried Round 3
DREAMS II @ DUNCAN McCLELLAN GALLERY
Featured Artist | Group Exhibition
Duncan McClellan Gallery, St Petersburg, FL
GASPARILLA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS 2016
Official Exhibitor | Booth #52
Purchase Award Winner
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa, FL
HIDDEN AGENDA @ FSC
The Conceptual Pop Art of Mark Mitchell | Solo Exhibition
January 22 - February 19
Melvin Gallery, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL
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2015
EXQUISITE CORPSE @ MFA ST PETE
Featured in International Touring Group Exhibition
Launched @ Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL
THE LOUVRE: EXPOSURE
Inclusion in Digital Exhibit @ SEE | ME Exposure Reception
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France
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2014
SCOPE MIAMI 2014
Inclusion in Digital Display @ SEE | ME Booth,
SCOPE International Contemporary Art Show, Miami, FL
ARTSLANT PRIZE SHOWCASE 6 WINNER
“DRY HEAT” Painting Selected by Curators
Featured in Juried Round 6
FOX13 GOOD MORNING TAMPA BAY TV INTERVIEW
“FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLE BEE” Painted Violin + Portfolio
Featured During Charity Auction
Florida Craftsmen Gallery, St Petersburg, FL
ARTSLANT PRIZE SHOWCASE 4 WINNER
“TOUGH LOVE” Painting Selected by Curators
Featured in Juried Round 4
SEE | ME during ARMORY ARTS WEEK NYC
Portfolio Inclusion in Group Digital Display
See | Exhibition Space, Long Island City, Queens
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2013
SELECT FAIR during ART BASEL MIAMI
Solo Exhibition @ Select Fair Miami, 2013
The Catalina Hotel, South Beach, Miami, FL
THE NEW PIER IN THE CITY
“SEE A NEW DAY” Painting Featured in Group Exhibition
In Support of WOW St Pete | The Lens Project
Benefit for Creative Clay | Arts Education for the Disabled
Mahaffey Theater, St Petersburg, FL
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2012
SCOPE MIAMI 2012: 1,001 ARTISTS PROJECT
Inclusion in Interactive Exhibit @ SEE | ME Booth,
Published in ART TAKES MIAMI Catalogue
& Featured in ATM Online Gallery
SCOPE International Contemporary Art Show, Miami, FL
“CREATURE (dis)COMFORTS”
Featured Artist Solo Exhibition
Salon30 / Morean Arts Center, St Petersburg, FL