Meet Mark Leibert of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Leibert.

Hi Mark, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My creative life started early, surrounded by paintings made by family members. I remember sitting in the kitchen and drawing yet another picture of Kikaida*. Like many people, I was shaped by art programs like those at my school, Iolani. I became more serious about painting in college, where I was exposed to a wider network of artists, materials, and forms. Oil paint in particular gave me a way to think through image-making, color, light, and texture that has stayed with me ever since, even when I’m working in the digital realm.

*live action superhero

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. In addition to the peak experiences there has been financial stress, self-doubt, and hesitation at times. There has also been the challenge of explaining a visual practice that defies neat categorization. At times it can feel like running a compression algorithm on something that resists reduction. Forgetting is a super power.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have maintained a studio practice for roughly thirty years, and going to the studio still stokes curiosity and experimentation. Over time, I have become interested in synthesizing different art forms, including painting, drawing, mosaics, animation, video, and digital media. My work moves through figuration and abstraction, personal memory, and universal stories. What sets me apart is the range of my experiences and my sensitivity to materials and the recognition that no matter what I do creatively registers as “my touch”.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The studio has been a place that filters life’s milestones, I find one of the keys to success is allowing ideas to develop even when they don’t make sense right away. Lately I’ve turned my attention to material from my childhood in Honolulu.

Sometimes being told I was doing something “wrong” became a signal that I was on the right track. That kind of territory often became the most meaningful part of the work.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.markleibert.com
• Instagram: @pixelmark
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markleibert/