marketing 2.0, acrylic on canvas, 36x36 inches
-Mark, we'd love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today, both personally and as an artist.
I’m one of those people who’s always felt I’ve been an artist from a very young age. My first instincts were to draw, and replicate with crayons everything I saw. At six, I can even remember rendering a giant Campbell’s Soup can in my oversize sketch pad. By age 12, I was making my own Super-8 animated cartoons in my basement—with paper cutouts, in the style of Monty Python and South Park. Later, I graduated Pratt Institute in NYC, where my focus was Graphic Design and Illustration. This led me to a career as an Art Director in a number of NYC ad agencies.
My professional life relied primarily on my design skills, but I would always try and eek out some personal time pursuing painting. It became a source of great satisfaction, as a counterpoint to the commercial work I was creating for a living. Inspired by the great surrealists and pop artists I’d studied, I longed for more free time to dig in deeper on what felt more and more to be my calling in life.
In 2010, I made a break for it. My wife and I were getting tired of the New York rat race, and were looking for a change of pace. We looked to St Pete Florida as a move to enjoy a warmer climate and relaxed lifestyle. I was ready to leave my full-time advertising job to flip the script and focus primarily on pursuing a career as a fine artist. And I knew exactly the kind of work I wanted to create: Conceptual Pop Art.
I create bold, colorful large scale paintings—a style which follows in the tradition of classic Pop Artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and most notably, James Rosenquist—with an added 21st-century edge, incorporating elements of urban art and contemporary styles.
information age, acrylic/mixed media on canvas, 48x36 inches
-Your work feels like a response to the world we're living in right now. Was there a point when the constant stream of images, information, and distractions around us became something you felt you had to address in your work?
Absolutely! I believe in art that conveys ideas—always have. My process begins with an observation and a reaction. And with the rise of the internet, social media, and the sense of information overload we're all feeling, there’s an endless supply of issues to react to. I embrace the role of the artist as a sounding-board, or mirror to hold up to society, in an effort to help others digest the world around us.
the daily grind, acrylic on canvas, 36x96 inches, diptych
-It's rare to look at a painting multiple times and still find things. How intentional is that layering, and how do you know when you've got it right?
I appreciate that! Yes, I'm a big fan of layering multiple elements, so it’s very intentional. I like to explore symbolic and metaphoric imagery, and employ a collage approach in my work. I do a lot of experimenting with various images digitally, before the paint ever hits the canvas. So, I typically feel pretty confident about the composition by the time I’m painting.
My intent as an artist is to encourage viewers to “look deeper”—my mantra. At its core, my work is intended as a wake-up call, by exposing things that may be hidden from view. Each piece is intended to catch the viewer off-guard, invite them in, and challenge them to make connections, find meaning, and ultimately see some aspect of the world differently.
rise, acrylic/mixed media on wood, 24x24 inches
-Eyes seem to pop up again and again in this series. What is it about seeing, perception, and observation that holds your attention as an artist?
You’re right! I would say on one hand, that my eyes are the key to my ability to create. They’re my most valued resource. So subconsciously, maybe that’s why I keep returning to feature them in my work. But on the other hand, eyes are a powerful symbol, conveying the act of observation while also confronting the viewer. After all, they are the ”window to the soul” as they say. They’re the place we look when we try and connect with one another. They’re the point of entry, which play an essential role in a body of work where my objective is to make that deeper connection with people.
distracted driving, acrylic on canvas, 108x48 inches, triptych
-What's the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I invite everyone to check out my website, social media, and to join my mailing list for the latest on new paintings and exhibitions. If you see something you love, please don’t hesitate to reach out—I won’t bite! Happy to discuss available pieces, pricing, and commissions. Selling is my primary way of supporting myself, and it motivates me to create more. At the very least, your likes, comments, shares, and reposts of my work and events on social media are always appreciated. It helps get the word out, so I can connect with more art lovers and buyers!
Main Website: www.markmitchellstudio.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/markmitchellstudio
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mmstudioart
Mailing List: tinyurl.com/2pfb44r2
Statement
Look deeper.
In a world where we are bombarded every day by pictures 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 made me stop, pay close attention, and actually think.
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.
I believe in art that conveys ideas. My process begins with an observation and a reaction. I explore symbolic and metaphoric visuals via a collage approach to create unique paintings in acrylic on canvas. By drawing on the power of pop culture, I repurpose its icons and techniques to deliver a more personal artistic statement.
My art is intended as a wake-up call, exposing things that may be hidden. Each piece attempts to catch the viewer off-guard and challenge them to make connections, and ultimately see differently some aspect of the world.
Through meaningful juxtaposition and social commentary, my work is an exploration of the irony, contradiction, parallels and harmony to be found in 21st-century life.
crush kill destroy, acrylic/mixed media on canvas, 48x24 inches
Bio
miss information, acrylic with spot glitter varnish on canvas, 48x24 inches
Mark Mitchell is a painter of Conceptual Pop Art. As a PRATT grad, SVA alum, and former NYC
advertising creative director, he has spent his entire career honing his visual communication skills.
Mitchell creates bold, colorful large scale paintings—a style which follows in the tradition of classic Pop Artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and most notably, James Rosenquist and Tom Wesselman—but with a 21st-century edge, incorporating elements of urban art and social commentary.
Mitchell’s work has sold internationally, been exhibited during ART BASEL MIAMI at SCOPE, shared on digital displays at THE LOUVRE and ARMORY ARTS WEEK NYC, selected by Pop- Surrealism master RON ENGLISH for BATON ROUGE GALLERY, and gained west coast exposure at bG GALLERY, Santa Monica. He currently has four originals featured on ARTSY.net.
Since relocating to St Petersburg, FL, Mitchell has presented a number of solo shows and artist talks at noteworthy galleries in the greater Tampa Bay area. His paintings have been awarded at GASPARILLA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, ART FESTIVAL BETH-EL, ART CENTER SARASOTA, SOFT WATER STUDIOS, the FLORIDA ARTISTS GROUP Annual Symposium, and the DUNEDIN FINE ARTS CENTER Members Exhibition.
Mark has been interviewed on FOX13-TV GOOD MORNING TAMPA BAY and published in TAMPA BAY TIMES. He’s also been selected as featured artist for a permanent showcase found in public areas of the HYATT HOUSE Tampa Airport/Westshore. He is a proud recipient of a CREATIVE PINELLAS Artist Grant, and current WADA member.
Always in pursuit of “The Big Idea”, Mark has learned how to put concept first, and manipulate imagery to surprise, provoke and reward the viewer.
“My process begins with an observation and a reaction. I explore symbolic and metaphoric visuals, and employ a collage approach to create unique and engaging paintings in acrylic on canvas. By drawing on the power of pop culture, I repurpose its icons, styles and techniques to deliver a more personal artistic statement.”