Mark Cowardin ( he/him/his )

Artist Statement

I am a father, a husband, an artist, and an educator, and my studio practice consists of an essential and delicate balance of these four jobs. My sculptural work examines the complicated, sometimes troubling, and always compelling intersection between humans and the natural world. My graceful sculptures juxtapose materials and conflicting ideas, and as a native U.S. Midwesterner, I examine the complex relationship to natural resources that the Midwest sometimes embodies. The implications of the narratives are sometimes alarming, complex and layered, and often ultimately tinged with yearning for a connection to the past and a hope for the future. 

At the core of all my work is a keen awareness of a personal connection to the delicate environs of which I speak. Much of the work begins with an observation of the absurd, as it relates to the intersection of humans and the natural world. The work illuminates the extreme beauty that ironically exists in some of humankinds' most damaging examples of consumption. The sculptures are often works that isolate “puffs of smoke” that have evolved into simple shapes that are removed from their original context and presented as amorphic forms, focusing on their sensuous beauty. Many of these works have their own light source, which literally illuminates the consumption that inspires the forms themselves.

I received an MFA in sculpture from the University of Arizona and a BFA from the University of Kansas.  As Professor of Art and Chair of the Department of Art, Photo & Film at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, I currently reside with my family in Lawrence, Kansas.  My work is included in numerous private and public collections including the John Michael Kohler Art Center, Kohler Corporation, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, and Rockhurst University. In 2023 mounted four solo exhibitions, an the Nerman Museum presented his large-scale installation Drift as a part of the Sun Drinks White exhibition.

Bio

Mark Cowardin is a father, a husband, an artist, and an educator. Mark’s sculptural work examines the complicated, sometimes troubling, and always compelling intersection between humans and the natural world. At the core of his research is a keen awareness of a personal connection to the delicate environs of which he speaks. Much of the work begins with the observation of the absurd illuminating the extreme beauty that ironically exists in some of humankinds’ most damaging examples of consumption. Mark Cowardin received an MFA in sculpture from the University of Arizona and a BFA from the University of Kansas, and currently resides with his family in Lawrence, Kansas. His work is included in numerous private and public collections including the John Michael Kohler Art Center, Kohler Corporation, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, and Rockhurst University.