Henry Mark

Henry Mark (born January 8, 1917 in Brooklyn , New York City , † 1961 ) was an American artist who was known as "The American silkscreen and serigraph master". He was married to Rose Mark, with whom he had a son, Michael D. Mark (born March 16, 1943).

life and work

In the beginning, Henry Mark was a sought-after interior decorator , whose clients entrusted him with assignments outside the USA, such as furnishing showrooms in Venezuela and other countries, at a young age . Henry Mark, an autodidact , was successful, but he felt that his passion was painting . He decided to devote himself entirely to this art.

Henry Mark was an artist whose innovative new paths were recognized early and highly valued by art critics. This can be found in the archive of the renowned Brooklyn Museum , Brooklyn / New York. Critics spoke of a "gifted artist who devoted his entire creative power to his art". Henry Mark used the short time he was allowed to devote to his art. The experts called him "The American silkscreen and serigraph master".

Henry Mark discovered the advantages of serigraphy early on . Fascinated, he explored the artistic possibilities of this way of working. A stencil / matrix was used for the serigraphy . In his production of screen prints, however, he avoided a flat surface, although this was common at the time, as well as the use of varnish, paper or glue. The innovative artist Henry Mark also used more ink in his production.

The art world quickly became aware of this extraordinary artist. Despite his young years, Henry Mark had managed to give his screen prints a hitherto unknown calligraphy style. Not only the Parisian art gallery Lelong requested the screen prints by Henry Mark. In 1941, when he was just 24 years old, his serigraphs were shown in the Virginia Museum and the Carnegie Institute, and in 1944 in the Artists Gallery. Numerous exhibitions followed over the years at the National Serigraph Society, New York. The renowned Brooklyn Museum presented a large selection of his serigraphs from the years 1941–1944 in an extensive exhibition in 1945. His works were u. a. shown at the Pennsylvania Academy of Art, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and many other institutions.

At the beginning of his work, the artist's screen prints move in realistic forms, followed by a period that can be described as semi-abstract. But even in these semi-abstract periods, Henry Mark always remained the sovereign artist, the painter. In his comments and notes he repeatedly mentioned that art must have dignity, that in every composition not only the obvious must be recognizable, but also the invisible thoughts of the artist. The artist achieves such invisible forms visible with his calligraphy style, in terms of colors and structure. Henry Mark also wanted to show that mental appearance can change due to different moods and circumstances.

Henry Mark knew how to give his screenprints the most varied moods and was rightly called "master of serigraphy". Examples: his works "crucifixion" and "agony of the innocent" make you pensive, whereas "carnival" and "dancers" show happiness, but at the same time seriousness and originality. All works can be attributed to the modern age of the time and are vigorous in execution.

In a communication to the prestigious Brooklyn Museum in 1945, Henry Mark wrote of his screen prints:

“Nature is infinite, as is art. In this two-dimensional surface the space can also be infinite and with the help of the subconscious all doubts can be erased, and so a free and creative art arises. In the present compositions not only the visible contours exist but also the invisible and imaginable. All of this is embraced by the colors of the respective mood and creates a unity of harmony. My imagination is guided by many influences, I just try to bring in my all-embracing philosophy. "

Henry Mark also received the highest recognition as a painter in oil; he produced several beautiful oil paintings. In 1946, Henry Mark was awarded first prize at the Brooklyn Museum for “solaquaterra”. More than 60 years later, this painting appears impressively futuristic.

His wife Rose was the model for many of his women portraits in oil, in small and large formats, for example for “Contemplating Woman”, “Woman With Red Scarf” and “Woman Playing The Mandolin”. "The Skater" is a self-portrait of the artist.

The serigraph "Pegasus" received an award from the Brooklyn Museum in 1946. This serigraph was part of an article: "Serigraphy, Newcomer to the Graphic Art" by Doritz Meltzer, Director of the Serigraph Galleries. "Pegasus" was described with the words: "... this serigraph makes it possible that we can enjoy a powerful and moving work of art like this horse by Henry Mark ...".

In the midst of his work, an inoperable brain tumor was diagnosed. After eight years of suffering, Henry Mark died in his Brooklyn home in 1961. In posthumous honor for the deceased Henry Mark, the Brooklyn Museum held a Henry Mark Memorial Show on December 17, 1961, showing 31 of his works of screen prints and oil paintings.

Exhibitions

One man shows

• 1943 - Artists Gallery, New York City, paintings and prints
• 1944 - Artists Gallery, New York City, watercolor and ink drawings
• 1944 - Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Utica / New York, watercolor and ink drawings
• 1945 - Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn / New York, serigraphs
• 1945 - International Print Society, paintings and prints

Well-known group exhibitions

• Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh / Pa., Directions in American Art
• Pennsylvania Academy of Art, Philadelphia / Pa, annual of 1942
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond / Va, Richmond Virginia Biennial 1942
• San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco / Calif.,
• Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City
• San Francisco Annual of Prints and Drawings - 1942
• Metropolitan Museum, New York City.
• MoMa, Museum of Modern Art, New York City, Christmas Exhibitions 1942 and 1943
• Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin Texas, 1st International Print Show, March 1943
• Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn / New York, Technique Exhibition of Graphic Arts, 1944
• The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago / Ill., Watercolor and Drawing Exhibition, 1944
• Brooklyn Museum Annuals of 1945, 1946, 1947
• Library of Congress Print Annuals of 1944, 1945, 1946
• International Watercolor Exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn / New York in 1947

Henry Mark's works are owned by:

• MoMa, Museum of Modern Art, New York City
• Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn / New York
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
• Portland Museum, Portland / Oregon
• De Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco / Calif.
• University of Iowa, Iowa City / Iowa
• Princeton Print Club, Princeton / New Jersey
• Firestone Library Princeton University, Princeton / New Jersey
• American Association of University Women
• US State Department, Washington / DC
• Smithsonian Institute, Washington / DC
• San Francisco Museum of Art
• New York Public Library, New York City
• Library of Congress, Washington / DC
• Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh / Pa.
• Boston Museum of Fine Art, Boston / Mass.

Awards / Honorable Mention

• San Francisco Annual of Prints & Drawings 1942 for serigraph 'The Table'
• Brooklyn Museum Annual 1946 for serigraph 'Pegasus'
• First Prize in oil painting, Brooklyn Museum Annual 1946 - 'Solaquaterra'