Name/Title
En Text 1-5 (should-change-old-pre-end)Entry/Object ID
2014.12.03a-eDescription
Everything is as it should be
Everything can change when you least expect it
Everything old can be new again
Everything is predetermined
Everything will be worth it in the end
Kelly Mark (b. 1967, Welland, Ontario) is a concept artist working in a variety of media including sculpture, video, installation, drawing, photography, sound art, neon lighting, and performance. She is fascinated by the types of humour found in every day life, injecting a kind of bold truth into her practice in the form of witty innuendo and cynical critique. Her art can be dark and crass but is simultaneously honest and relatable.
Many of her works take the form of odd motivational phrases made out of neon lights, LEDs, cut metal, and other materials. The artist plays with the self-help format using humour and sarcasm to point out the glib nature of the mantras often found in motivational posters. Sometimes, Mark’s phrases appear borrowed ironically while others are obvious parodies by the artist—NOTHING IS SO IMPORTANT THAT IT NEEDS TO BE MADE IN SIX FOOT NEON. These works also speak towards a recurring theme of reputation and routine. To Mark, there is comfort in routine. Daily rituals are an innate and fundamental part of life that shape our interaction and identity.
Mark received her BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design in 1994. Her works have been exhibited widely across Canada, and internationally. Such venues include The National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), The Power Plant (Toronto), Contemporary Art Gallery (Vancouver), The Darling Foundry (Montreal), Musee d'Art Contemporain (Montreal); MSVU Art Gallery (Halifax), Bass Museum (Miami), University of Houston (Texas), Real Art Ways (Hartford), The Henry Art Gallery (Seattle), Ikon Gallery (UK), Dundee Contemporary Arts (Scotland), The Physics Room (NZ), Netwerk Centre for Contemporary Art (Belgium) ... Represented Canada at The Sydney Biennale (1998) and Liverpool Biennale (2006).Artwork Details
Medium
water-jet cut polished aluminumMade/Created
Date made
2014Edition
Edition of 3 (set of 5) + Edition of 3 individually