Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Eisendrath.
Hi Mark, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born with a pencil in my hand- at least that’s what my parents say. I took every opportunity to draw. And still do. It is my first love, followed closely by manual labor. The next step was obvious; art school. The Rhode Island School of Design helped me mold these two things into focus. A brain tumor disrupted this focus and my visual field- what I once saw in stereo was now in mono. I returned to college when the fight for my life was over and found myself reflecting on images of our family farm, rusted implements, and relics, the endless cords of firewood. I didn’t know what I was going to make, but I had a powerful desire to make it. Those comforting images of home gave me confidence and found their way into a series of paintings that spoke for themselves. If they were songs, they would have been sung in the key of survival.
Art needs to grow- just like children. My paintings became collages, clay-work evolved into woodwork, flat objects gained dimension. And that’s when the plane crashed. Literally.
We lost power at a thousand feet and went into a steep dive, caught fire in the trees, and made impact. Pulling my mother from the wreckage, I noticed embers from the plane still burning; they were beautiful. I began emulating them upon my return to the studio. They became a focus that drove my work. Using a torch instead of a brush brought possibilities I never could have imagined: black became my happy color.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No- not even close. The financial collapse of 2008, along with a painful divorce, crippled me financially. It was a perfect storm. For several years it was a real scramble. Yet- behind every disaster, there is opportunity. I found work and comfort in the theater industry. Building and installing scenery brought in some much-needed income but more importantly sharpened my skills and afforded me a sense of comradery with my highly skilled colleagues.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Mark Eisendrath is a sculptor working primarily with wood. His experience as a sculptor began in his childhood, and he continues to explore innovative methods of working in the medium. Eisendrath’s recent abstract wall sculptures have seen the artist crosscut beams into tiles, using them to construct compositions that combine organic imperfection and geometric symmetry. The lively surfaces of his works incorporate textures and cracks, which are then embellished by a variety of carving and finishing techniques. The sheer physicality of the resulting object can be seen as an exercise in formalism rooted in the simple pleasure of construction. Conversely, Eisendrath’s finely crafted structures explore the intersection of man and nature by employing a wide range of processes to evoke the shared space uniting the human spirit with the Earth’s multi-layered history. He lives and works in Baltimore.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Tenacity. I look forward to failure: it gives me something to look forward to – I fail, I try again, I fail better. More specifically, if an idea isn’t fully formed and the project falls apart, it makes room for a better thing to fall together.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.markeisendrath.com
- Instagram: mark.eisendrath.sculpture
- Facebook: Mark Eisendrath Sculpture
