"I was a child of the Fifties," he says, "and have retained elements of that era in my artwork...." Comics and cartoons especially influenced Mark's early imagination and contiue to provide a source of inspiration for his art.

His ceramic "tie" sculpture, "Texas Avaricious" which sold at the recent Galeria ARTopia show, "Gifted: Bright and Shiny Things," was an homage to 1940s cartoonist Tex Avery.

Mark says he joined Albuquerque's "burgeoning Art Punk/New Wave scene in 1980," after graduating from the University of new Mexico Fine Arts program. Several artists he met during that period also continue to inspire his work.

He later entered teaching as a profession and has worked for both the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) and for the City of Albuquerque. He was the lead artist in ceramics for the Mayor's Art Summer Institute for Public School Students in 2001 and served as director of the APS/ACCESS mosaic art club (Mi Tierra) from 1996-2003.

His recent exhibitions include two shows of oil paintings at Albuquerque's Fisher Gallery, a group show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles, and two shows at Galeria ARTopia.

At left: Ceramic artist Mark Woody (top left).

Back to Artist Profiles