Mark Yasenchack's resume

statement

Ceramics

Clay captured my imagination when I was 6 years old. The grey oil-based modelling clay that never dries out, fascinated me. Whether it was buildings with miniature people, spaceships with miniature aliens, or sharks eating miniature scuba divers I worked with the clay for hours and my parents worried I was nuts. Later, referring to the clear overlapping pages of an encyclopedia, I made cadavers with all their organs (floating them in a vinegar and baking soda froth) and my parents were relieved I wasn’t into drugs.

I am grateful for the influence of my Aunt Dee, a creative do-it-yourself teacher/artist, and my grandfather Pete, a workaholic who could do anything. Of course I had to rebel against all of it, frustrated by Dee’s perfectionism and Pete who had little time for anything but work. But now I realize the work I do differs very little from the work they did; I craft things for people and want the work to be excellent like Dee and find the same peacefulness in working as Pete did.

It was the time spent in the ceramics studio during my final year at Baldwin-Wallace College, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, that started my career as a ceramic artist. The focus on glazed wheel-thrown shapes gradually evolved into hand-built vessels with small details of glaze.

New materials and subjects intrigue me while I work with collage and encaustics. The ability to overlap images, thereby linking them visually and relating their meanings, inspires me. Working with words, from a prose poems I write, and text fragments from old books, I can address some of the more personal themes and ideas I have been needing to express.

Encaustic Collage

These encaustic collages start with silver-process photographs (not Xerox, giclee or computer prints). Many of the collages start with my own photographs; others are found photographs. In fact, this series started with an album of vacation/honeymoon pictures I pulled from a dumpster. Oddly, with no pictures of the newlyweds or vacationers, the pictures all had a strange emptiness. This made them perfect for combining with other images and text.

The first collages of this series were finished with clear acrylic medium to seal and adhere the images. Later, while researching wax resist methods for ceramics, I found instructions for mixing encaustic wax. It is a mixture of beeswax and tree resin. The mixture is stronger and more transparent than beeswax alone. It is worked while hot and when cool it acquires a surface depth and sheen that enhances the light and shadows of the images beneath.

The collages allow me to explore a narrative voice in my work. Combining text fragments or prose poems with images create intrigue, depth and meaning.

Music

These songs were completed around 2001 on a Ensoniq SQ2, and are rough sketches for jazz ensemble, marching band and chamber orchestra.

Using the sequencer more as a 4-track recorder, the tracks were played live on the synthesizer. There are a few sequences (loops) but no sampling and very little editing; the mis-takes and missed cues are left, unerased, like guidelines in a sketch. Excuse the sometimes fake sounding horns, imagine real ones.

resume

Education

Cuyahoga Community College, 1990–1991, studied glazes and wheelthrowing
Baldwin-Wallace College, B.S. in Biology 1987, two-year concentrated study of ceramics, glaze making, and B&W photo techniques.

Parma Senior High School, 1980–1983

Experience

Artist in ArtCraft Building 6th Floor Studios, 1997–2008, share co-operative space with seven artists. Led the re-organization of the Annual Studio Show and Sale in 1998 and have shared the directorship of it since.

Gallery Manager, River Gallery, Rocky River, Ohio, curated & installed exhibits for 2007 & 2009

Business Operations Manager, Cleveland International Film Festival, 1999–2009

Instructor, Heights Arts Collaborative, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, 2008

Instructor, Brecksville Center for the Arts, since 1993. Awarded Instructor of the Year 2002.
Included in Herbert Ascherman’s 100 Artists Photography Project, 2001

Participant, City Artists at Work, 1999–2007

Gallery Assistant, Thrive Artspace, 2004–2005

Visiting Artist, Cleveland City Schools Harvey Rice and Wade Park Elementary schools,
1992 to present. Worked with Marla Keilin on annual clay project workshop.

Instructor, Happy Hearts School, Ashtabula , Ohio 1992 and Sunnyside Elementary 1998–2000. Led workshops designed for children with special needs.

Instructor, Cleveland Institute of Art. Led Saturday Morning program in the Continuing Education Dept., 1997 & 1998.

Attendee, 2005 Wooster Ceramics Workshop, Wooster, Ohio

Juror for the Westlake-Westshore Arts Council Fine Arts Exhibition, August 2007

Participant in student/artist partnership project at Pickerington Elementary School, 1995.
Organized bi-monthly exhibits at It’s It Deli in Lakewood, Ohio, 1988–1993

Exhibiting artist in the following Art Shows: Cain Park Arts Festival, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 1998–2007, Ann Arbor Summer Fair, Ann Arbor, Michigan 1999 and Columbus Arts Festival, Columbus, Ohio 1999.

Exhibitions

2008 - Archipelago, solo exhibit of collage, Bela Duby Gallery, Lakewood
Love Letters to Gomez & Morticia, solo exhibit of encaustic collage, Loganberry Book store
Collector's Choice, group exhibit, Heights Arts Collaborative, Cleveland Heights, OH
Clay 2008, group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Arts Center

2007 - Caffeine & Spirits: group exhibit of drinking vessels, River Gallery, Rocky River
Platters and Bowls: group exhibit, River Gallery, Rocky River, OH
Quickly, solo exhibit Bela Duby Gallery of clay and collage, Lakewood, OH
Special Focus exhibit, Silverthorne Gallery, Rocky River, OH
Holiday Collection, Heights Arts Collaborative, Cleveland Heights
Art(is)Craft: 5 artist exhibit, The South Wing Gallery of St Paul's Church, Cleveland Hts., OH

2006 - Bones of Contention 2: group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Center
Black and White: Invitational Exhibition Fawick Gallery, Baldwin-Wallace College
Director's Choice: Clay: group exhibit, Lakeland Community College Fine Arts Gallery
Quickly: solo exhibit of collage, Bela Duby Gallery, Cleveland, OH

2005 - Bones of Contention 1: group exhibit, Cuyahoga Community College,
Western Campus Gallery
The Erie Art Museum Annual Exhibit, work accepted into juried exhibit
ColourBox: Three Artist Exhibit, Studio 16, Columbus, OH
Curated Group Exhibit, Northern Edge: 28 Cleveland Artists, Studio 16 Columbus, OH
Crafts Biennial, CSU Gallery, work accepted into juried exhibit

2004 - The Artful Object: group exhibit, Thrive Gallery
CLAY: group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Center
Yellow: themed group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Center
Annual Clay Exhibit, Hectic Studio Gallery
Process: 4 Artist exhibit, Dead Horse Gallery
Birds, Bees & Fantasies: 6 Artist exhibit, Dead Horse Gallery

2003 - Participant in the Wooster Clay Workshop
Yellow: group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Center
Represented by Thrive ArtSpace, Cleveland, OH

2002 - Two-Faced: Portrait Duets, exhibit tie-in with Herbert Ascherman’s The Artist Project
Space Contained: group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Center
Klaykonnexions: group exhibit, Fawick Art Gallery, Baldwin-Wallace College
Invitational Exhibition, Cuyahoga Community College, Western Campus Gallery
Constructions: solo exhibit, Ohio Designer Craftsmen/A Show of Hands, Cincinnatti

2001 - Curated (K)NOW Clay exhibit of 8 ceramic artists, Sandusky Cultural Center
Curated Still Moving, paintings by Thomas Roese for the Ohio Art League
Boxology: solo exhibit, Ohio Designer Craftsmen/A Show of Hands, North Olmsted
Fall Exhibition of the Ohio Art League, juried exhibit

2000 - Mixed Feelings, Inaugural group exhibit, Dead Horse Gallery, Lakewood
A Show of Boxes: group exhibit Infusion Gallery, Cleveland, OH
Juror for the annual student exhibits for Cleveland City Schools Scholarship Exhibit,
Baldwin-Wallace College and Orange Art Center

1999 - Spring Exhibition of the Ohio Art League, juried exhibit
Local Color: The Gallery in Chagrin Falls, invitational exhibit
Small is Beautiful exhibit, Alan Gallery, Berea, OH

1998 - Ceramic Invitational, Art at the Powerhouse, Cleveland, OH

1997 - Artistic Evolution: 30 Years, 30 Artists, Sandusky Cultural Center
Understory, Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Sewickley, PA, first solo exhibition
Windows, Sandusky Cultural Center, invitational exhibit

1996 - Twists & Turns: Cleveland Clay, Cuyahoga Community College, invitational exhibit
Alumni Sesquicentennial Exhibition, Baldwin-Wallace College, invitational exhibit

1995 - Earthworks, Sandusky Cultural Center, invitational exhibit
Surrounding Structures, Gordon Beale Frank Gallery, Cleveland, invitational exhibit

1993 - Annual Juried Outdoor Exhibition, The Sculpture Center, Cleveland, OH

1989 - Good As Gold, Ohio Designer Crafts Gallery, Columbus, juried exhibit

1985 - Bits & Pieces, Fawick Gallery, Baldwin-Wallace College, juried exhibit


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		artist statement & resume statement Ceramics Clay captured my imagination when I was 6 years old. The grey oil-based modelling clay that never dries out, fascinated me. Whether it was buildings with miniature people, spaceships with miniature aliens, or sharks eating miniature scuba divers I worked with the clay for hours and my parents worried I was nuts. Later, referring to the clear overlapping pages of an encyclopedia, I made cadavers with all their organs (floating them in a vinegar and baking soda froth) and my parents were relieved I wasn’t into drugs. I am grateful for the influence of my Aunt Dee, a creative do-it-yourself teacher/artist, and my grandfather Pete, a workaholic who could do anything. Of course I had to rebel against all of it, frustrated by Dee’s perfectionism and Pete who had little time for anything but work. But now I realize the work I do differs very little from the work they did; I craft things for people and want the work to be excellent like Dee and find the same peacefulness in working as Pete did. It was the time spent in the ceramics studio during my final year at Baldwin-Wallace College, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, that started my career as a ceramic artist. The focus on glazed wheel-thrown shapes gradually evolved into hand-built vessels with small details of glaze. New materials and subjects intrigue me while I work with collage and encaustics. The ability to overlap images, thereby linking them visually and relating their meanings, inspires me. Working with words, from a prose poems I write, and text fragments from old books, I can address some of the more personal themes and ideas I have been needing to express. Encaustic Collage These encaustic collages start with silver-process photographs (not Xerox, giclee or computer prints). Many of the collages start with my own photographs; others are found photographs. In fact, this series started with an album of vacation/honeymoon pictures I pulled from a dumpster. Oddly, with no pictures of the newlyweds or vacationers, the pictures all had a strange emptiness. This made them perfect for combining with other images and text. The first collages of this series were finished with clear acrylic medium to seal and adhere the images. Later, while researching wax resist methods for ceramics, I found instructions for mixing encaustic wax. It is a mixture of beeswax and tree resin. The mixture is stronger and more transparent than beeswax alone. It is worked while hot and when cool it acquires a surface depth and sheen that enhances the light and shadows of the images beneath. The collages allow me to explore a narrative voice in my work. Combining text fragments or prose poems with images create intrigue, depth and meaning. Music These songs were completed around 2001 on a Ensoniq SQ2, and are rough sketches for jazz ensemble, marching band and chamber orchestra. Using the sequencer more as a 4-track recorder, the tracks were played live on the synthesizer. There are a few sequences (loops) but no sampling and very little editing; the mis-takes and missed cues are left, unerased, like guidelines in a sketch. Excuse the sometimes fake sounding horns, imagine real ones. resume Education Cuyahoga Community College, 1990–1991, studied glazes and wheelthrowing Baldwin-Wallace College, B.S. in Biology 1987, two-year concentrated study of ceramics, glaze making, and B&W photo techniques. Parma Senior High School, 1980–1983 Experience Artist in ArtCraft Building 6th Floor Studios, 1997–2008, share co-operative space with seven artists. Led the re-organization of the Annual Studio Show and Sale in 1998 and have shared the directorship of it since. Gallery Manager, River Gallery, Rocky River, Ohio, curated & installed exhibits for 2007 & 2009 Business Operations Manager, Cleveland International Film Festival, 1999–2009 Instructor, Heights Arts Collaborative, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, 2008 Instructor, Brecksville Center for the Arts, since 1993. Awarded Instructor of the Year 2002. Included in Herbert Ascherman’s 100 Artists Photography Project, 2001 Participant, City Artists at Work, 1999–2007 Gallery Assistant, Thrive Artspace, 2004–2005 Visiting Artist, Cleveland City Schools Harvey Rice and Wade Park Elementary schools, 1992 to present. Worked with Marla Keilin on annual clay project workshop. Instructor, Happy Hearts School, Ashtabula , Ohio 1992 and Sunnyside Elementary 1998–2000. Led workshops designed for children with special needs. Instructor, Cleveland Institute of Art. Led Saturday Morning program in the Continuing Education Dept., 1997 & 1998. Attendee, 2005 Wooster Ceramics Workshop, Wooster, Ohio Juror for the Westlake-Westshore Arts Council Fine Arts Exhibition, August 2007 Participant in student/artist partnership project at Pickerington Elementary School, 1995. Organized bi-monthly exhibits at It’s It Deli in Lakewood, Ohio, 1988–1993 Exhibiting artist in the following Art Shows: Cain Park Arts Festival, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 1998–2007, Ann Arbor Summer Fair, Ann Arbor, Michigan 1999 and Columbus Arts Festival, Columbus, Ohio 1999. Exhibitions 2008 - Archipelago, solo exhibit of collage, Bela Duby Gallery, Lakewood Love Letters to Gomez & Morticia, solo exhibit of encaustic collage, Loganberry Book store Collector's Choice, group exhibit, Heights Arts Collaborative, Cleveland Heights, OH Clay 2008, group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Arts Center 2007 - Caffeine & Spirits: group exhibit of drinking vessels, River Gallery, Rocky River Platters and Bowls: group exhibit, River Gallery, Rocky River, OH Quickly, solo exhibit Bela Duby Gallery of clay and collage, Lakewood, OH Special Focus exhibit, Silverthorne Gallery, Rocky River, OH Holiday Collection, Heights Arts Collaborative, Cleveland Heights Art(is)Craft: 5 artist exhibit, The South Wing Gallery of St Paul's Church, Cleveland Hts., OH 2006 - Bones of Contention 2: group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Center Black and White: Invitational Exhibition Fawick Gallery, Baldwin-Wallace College Director's Choice: Clay: group exhibit, Lakeland Community College Fine Arts Gallery Quickly: solo exhibit of collage, Bela Duby Gallery, Cleveland, OH 2005 - Bones of Contention 1: group exhibit, Cuyahoga Community College, Western Campus Gallery The Erie Art Museum Annual Exhibit, work accepted into juried exhibit ColourBox: Three Artist Exhibit, Studio 16, Columbus, OH Curated Group Exhibit, Northern Edge: 28 Cleveland Artists, Studio 16 Columbus, OH Crafts Biennial, CSU Gallery, work accepted into juried exhibit 2004 - The Artful Object: group exhibit, Thrive Gallery CLAY: group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Center Yellow: themed group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Center Annual Clay Exhibit, Hectic Studio Gallery Process: 4 Artist exhibit, Dead Horse Gallery Birds, Bees & Fantasies: 6 Artist exhibit, Dead Horse Gallery 2003 - Participant in the Wooster Clay Workshop Yellow: group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Center Represented by Thrive ArtSpace, Cleveland, OH 2002 - Two-Faced: Portrait Duets, exhibit tie-in with Herbert Ascherman’s The Artist Project Space Contained: group exhibit, Sandusky Cultural Center Klaykonnexions: group exhibit, Fawick Art Gallery, Baldwin-Wallace College Invitational Exhibition, Cuyahoga Community College, Western Campus Gallery Constructions: solo exhibit, Ohio Designer Craftsmen/A Show of Hands, Cincinnatti 2001 - Curated (K)NOW Clay exhibit of 8 ceramic artists, Sandusky Cultural Center Curated Still Moving, paintings by Thomas Roese for the Ohio Art League Boxology: solo exhibit, Ohio Designer Craftsmen/A Show of Hands, North Olmsted Fall Exhibition of the Ohio Art League, juried exhibit 2000 - Mixed Feelings, Inaugural group exhibit, Dead Horse Gallery, Lakewood A Show of Boxes: group exhibit Infusion Gallery, Cleveland, OH Juror for the annual student exhibits for Cleveland City Schools Scholarship Exhibit, Baldwin-Wallace College and Orange Art Center 1999 - Spring Exhibition of the Ohio Art League, juried exhibit Local Color: The Gallery in Chagrin Falls, invitational exhibit Small is Beautiful exhibit, Alan Gallery, Berea, OH 1998 - Ceramic Invitational, Art at the Powerhouse, Cleveland, OH 1997 - Artistic Evolution: 30 Years, 30 Artists, Sandusky Cultural Center Understory, Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Sewickley, PA, first solo exhibition Windows, Sandusky Cultural Center, invitational exhibit 1996 - Twists & Turns: Cleveland Clay, Cuyahoga Community College, invitational exhibit Alumni Sesquicentennial Exhibition, Baldwin-Wallace College, invitational exhibit 1995 - Earthworks, Sandusky Cultural Center, invitational exhibit Surrounding Structures, Gordon Beale Frank Gallery, Cleveland, invitational exhibit 1993 - Annual Juried Outdoor Exhibition, The Sculpture Center, Cleveland, OH 1989 - Good As Gold, Ohio Designer Crafts Gallery, Columbus, juried exhibit 1985 - Bits & Pieces, Fawick Gallery, Baldwin-Wallace College, juried exhibit

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