from presentation at the Cab Calloway High School, Wilmington, DE
I enjoyed presenting at the school and working youth. They asked many thought provoking questions. My presentation includes slideshow of my work, poetry, laughter and much food for thought. If you have an educational, business, or cultural venue that might be interested, please let me know.
Here is an article written by one of the student journalists.
Mark
Artist Mark Cottman
by
Tara L. Cropper
Starting in mid October, artist Mark Cottman’s works were displayed in Cab Calloway’s art gallery. Though he did not start life as a professional artist, he has become one of the few artists that have managed to make a living of it, and gain a certain level of notoriety in the process.
As a child, Mr. Cottman tried to
imitate his father’s drawings, but eventually discovered he had to find his
own way. Mr. Cottman became an
architectural engineer for twenty years and a standup comedian for twelve years
before he quit his job to take up art full time.
When asked what inspired him to become an artist, the replied “It was a
calling”. He started out his new
career going to as many shows and galleries as he could to get known, which he
has done very successfully. He has
participated in exhibitions all across the
Mr. Cottman has an obviously unique style which is often abstract but always meaningful. “I like to pull things from my subconscious because that’s part of what I am,” he stated in reference to one of his pieces entitled “Part of a Dream”. When asked what other artists influence him, he named Paul Klee, Picasso and Matisse as just a few among a host of well known artists that he felt made some impression on him. What is fascinating about Mr. Cottman’s work is that it’s not only an expression of him but also a means of social commentary. He shows a keen observance of his surroundings in the subject matter he chooses, though he frequently expresses it through humor.
Most of his pieces use a combination of mediums from watercolor to ink and many include words in the piece itself, to further tell the tale. As he said it, “the best comedy is a story.” One way he incorporates this is to write poems to go with the piece. When asked how he decided how big to make a piece he said it depended on the piece. “If you have a small piece of artwork, you observe it. If you have a large piece, you become part of it.” Another amazing aspect of his work is that he doesn’t plan his compositions. He “just does it” though the concepts are usually long considered.
During classroom visits to Mr. Hanel’s room on Friday Oct. 20th, Mark Cottman encouraged young artists but warned that “being an artist for a living is tough”. He also stated that he had to learn to “treat criticism and compliments the same”. The same day, from 5:30 to 7:30pm, he attended the grand opening of his exhibition in Cab’s art gallery.