Mark Prent
Mark Prent (1947-2020) - Artist Biography
In October 2018, Gallery Gevik was honoured to host Mark Prent’s first solo exhibition in Toronto since the early 1990s. A homecoming of sorts, it was such a thrill to have him in the gallery, surrounded by his friends, family and admirers as he beamed and spoke so passionately about his richly detailed bronze and fibreglass works.
Mark was not only a technical wizard, he was a wildly imaginative artist, some would say provocateur, fusing the monstrous and the imaginary. Mark wanted, above else, to create things that couldn’t be seen anywhere in the physical world. Mark liked to refer to his pieces as three-dimensional paintings - diligently using a brush with pigmented layers of silicone or resin, he often used a mould to build up reverse layers of colours in order to create the beautiful aesthetic that grace his creature-like creations. It was Mark’s unique conception of beauty that made him a kindred spirit with such film artists as David Cronenberg and Guillermo Del Toro: in 1987 Prent and Cronenberg co-exhibited in the Power Plant curated show Prent/Cronenberg: Crimes Against Nature, while Prent’s sculpture The End Steals In, appeared as part of Del Toro’s personal collection in his At Home with the Monsters exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario in the fall of 2017.
At 26 years old, Mark’s debut solo show at The Isaacs Gallery in 1973 was greeted with widespread fascination and consistent line-ups on Yonge Street of people eager to catch a peak at the artist’s awesome flights of fantasy. Following that first smash success, Prent continued to show consistently with Isaacs over the next seventeen years. His work earned him a Guggenheim fellowship as well as numerous international exhibitions at the Akademie der Kunste, Berlin, Kunsthalle Nuremberg, the Stedeljik Museum, Amsterdam, and the Musee d’art contemporain, Montreal. His pieces can be found in the collections of The Art Gallery of Ontario, Musee d’art contemporain, Montreal, the Musee du Quebec, Quebec City among many others.
It’s been our honour to get to know Mark, his wife Sue and their son Jesse over the past two years. His work ethic was tireless and inspiring. Seldom was he anywhere but in his studio, dreaming up something awe inspiring. We’re going to miss him very much. His passing is a great loss to art lovers everywhere.
Mark Prent was born in Lodz, Poland in 1947 and immigrated to Canada with his parents the following year. The artist held eight solo exhibitions at the Isaacs Gallery in Toronto from 1973 to 1990. Over the years, his work has earned him a Guggenheim fellowship as well as numerous international exhibitions at the Akademie der Kunste, Berlin, Kunsthalle Nuremberg, the Stedeljik Museum, Amsterdam, and the Musee d’art contemporain, Montreal. His pieces can be found in the collections of The National Gallery of Canada, The Art Gallery of Ontario, Musee d’art contemporain, Montreal, the Musee du Quebec, Quebec City among many others.
Solo Exhibitions:
2019 “Birth Machine Baby” w/ H.R. Giger, Gagosian Gallery Park &75, NYC
2018 “Excursions” Gallery Gevik, Toronto, Ontario Canada
2017 “Original Sin” Mitchell Algus Gallery, New York City, NY, U.S.A.
2010 Pink Eye, St. Albans, Vermont, U.S.A.
2005 Action Art Actuel, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
2001 PURE, Taos, New Mexico U.S.A.
1993 Centre d’Exposition Circa; Montreal, Canada
1993 Galerie de la Tour; Basel, Switzerland
1991 Glendon Gallery; Toronto, Canada
1991 Galerie Experanza; Montreal, Canada
1990 The Isaacs Gallery; Toronto, Canada
1990 Galerie Esperanza; Montreal, Canada
1987 Powerplant Gallery; Toronto, Canada (catalogue)
1987 Chaffee Gallery: Rutland, Vermont U.S.A.
1987 Saw Gallery; Ottawa, Canada
1986 Galerie Esperanza; Montreal, Canada
1986 The Isaacs Gallery; Toronto, Canada
1985 Forest City Gallery; London, Ontario; Canada
1984 The Isaccs Gallery; Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
1984 Galerie Fucito; Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
1983 Galerie Matane; Matane, Quebec (Canada)
1982 Salle Tremble; Alma, Quebec (Canada) brochure
1981 The Isaacs Gallery, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
1979 Musee d’art contemporain; Montreal, Quebec (Canada) catalogue
1979 Saw Gallery; Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
Art Space; Peterborough, Ontario (Canada)
1978 Stedelijk Museum; Amsterdam, (Holland) catalogue
1978 Sir George Williams Art Gallery; Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
1978 The Isaacs Gallery; Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
1976 Kunsthalle Nuremberg; Nuremberg, (Germany) catalog
1975 Akademie der Kunste; Berlin, (Germany) catalog
1974 York University; Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
1972 The Isaacs Gallery; Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
1971 The Warren Benedek Gallery; New York, NY
1971 Sir George Williams Art Gallery; Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
Documentary Films on Mark Prent:
1997 “Prent’s Universe”
Twenty-five minutes. 16mm color documentary
directed by Martial Ethier; Montreal, Quebec
1980 “Mark Prent: Overmood”
One-half hour. 16mm color documentary; directed by Brian McNeil
Montreal, Quebec
1976 “If Brains Were Dynamite, You Wouldn’t Have Enough
To Blow Your Nose”
One-half-hour.16-mm color documentary ; directed by Tom Burstyn
Briston Productions and St. Cloud Films: Montreal, Quebec
Artist Specialization: Mark Prent works consist of life-moulded mixed media, polyester resin and fiberglass casts of human models in sometimes disturbing poses and juxtapositions. Mark Prent has consistently maintained throughout the years, that his sculptures and installations do not carry intentional messages. Despite the powerfully grotesque imagery that he has employed, interpretation is left to the viewer. Prent developed his own unique technique of layering to give a heightened realism to his figures; thus giving rise to the label "Extended Realism". When he later became concerned about the toxicity of polyester resin, he began to experiment with other materials, developing innovative techniques for recreating that trademark quality of virulent realism. This venture into new materials led him in many new directions in his own work and ultimately, to become a technical resource for other artists as well.
