Biography (PDF Format)
Artist Statement (PDF Format)
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BIOGRAPHY
Mark Errol Mark Errol graduated from Georgia State University in 2014 with his MFA where he was the recipient of the Ernest G. Welch Fellowship. Mark accepted the position of Lecturer in 2015 at Valdosta State University in Valdosta GA where he teaches Ceramics and is the Gallery Director of the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery. Mark and his husband, photographer Glenn Josey are the co-owners of Plough Gallery in Tifton GA. The gallery’s concentration is on fine art and craft and has been a leader in bringing public art and education to their town. Mark maintains an active studio practice that centers around functional ceramic forms that act as a vehicle to share about topics of domestic life, shared loved and his ever-longing quest to win the lottery and build a dream home. In addition to clay, he works with textiles, printmaking, and photography. He has exhibited nationally and internationally, been featured in Studio Potter and Ceramics Monthly. Errol has taught workshops and been a visiting artist at numerous universities and art centers such as Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts was the Clay Coordinator for the Spring Session of Pentaculum from 2020-2024. In 2023, Mark returned to school and earned an M.A in Museum Studies at Kennesaw State University. Artist Statement
Mark Errol As an artist who once longed to be an architect and interior designer, I integrate iconic elements and narratives from those disciplines, constructing obscure, yet relatable stories of love and lust; the “haves” and “have-nots”, all under the pretense of the American Dream. My primary vehicle is ceramics. I make functional forms, though obvious utility takes a back seat to historical and predicated relationships in the domestic setting. My process encompasses dual roles. One satiates my love of drawing and decoration using bright, cheerful color, line, and pattern. The other is a method of deploying stealthy, cheeky illustrations that often disarm, charm, and slip into the homes of patrons unaware of their queer slant. The longer I make, the more I develop methods to limit vices while satisfying my affinity for repetitive actions. The painting and cutting of underglaze coated newsprint into thousands of shapes, inspires a more spontaneous, reactionary form of painting that wards off the feeling of being a production potter, lending a fine-art feel to my craft. My studio practice centers around clarity of intentions. I am not beholden to any singular material, style, or tradition. I am a maker first and a craftsperson second. I never view an idea with the fear of it being good or bad. I view it through the lens of a desire to confirm its existence to discuss it through an open dialogue. |
