Mark Feldman
My goal is to place strong organic forms and solid rock in direct juxtaposition to stimulate imagination and memory. The contrast between the natural and the man-made, the rough and the smooth, the new and the old, are what give emotional content to my work. I want my sculptures not only to be viewed, but to be touched and pondered. A sculpture succeeds when it elicits unique and strong feelings, images, and memories in each viewer.
For most artists, the most difficult moment is the first brush stroke or, in the case of a stone sculptor, the first chip of the chisel or tap of the hammer. For me, this blank canvas calls for “direct carving.”
I start by eliminating the weak or rough parts of the stone that might cleave off. When only the strong, beautiful stone is left, the “conversation” with the stone begins. The interplay of shapes – and
sometimes found iconic objects - leads me to form, composition, and meaning. With pencil, I often draw designs directly on the stone. As I move the tools around, the stone tells me what to remove and what to save.
Since coming to New Mexico in 1975 to attend the UNM School of Architecture, I have had a deep interest in three-dimensional design. In the hundreds of homes I have designed and built, my touchstone has always been sculptural form, regional materials and a loyalty to unique Southwestern approaches. I started my journey into stone carving in 1997 and have followed the same themes in my art. I was taught to carve stone by several indigenous and local sculptors, especially the accomplished and generous sculptor and teacher, Rollie Grandbois of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa. My main focus has been the interplay between abstract design, beautiful and intricate objects of the Machine Age and Southwestern artistic traditions.
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After earning a BA in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, Mark received his Master of Architecture degree in 1980 from the University of New Mexico. Using the arts he learned, he has designed and built hundreds of custom homes in the Southwest. Each one is a unique design bringing together human desires, natural systems, and sculptural forms. In 2000, he started to study stone carving with several leading sculptors from the region and the world.