Taken at Northpark Center, Dallas TX


Mark di Suvero (born as Marco Polo di Suvero) is an American abstract expressionist sculptor born in Shanghai, China in 1933 to Italian expatriates. He came to San Francisco, California in 1941 with his father. From 1953 to 1957, he attended the University of California, Berkeley to study fine arts and where he ultimately earned a degree in Philosophy. He later moved to New York City where he was surrounded by an explosion of Abstract Expressionism. While working in construction, he was critically injured in a freight elevator accident and focused all his attention on sculpture.

While in rehabilitation, he learned to work with an arc welder. His early works were large outdoor pieces that incorporated railroad ties, tires, scrap metal and structural steel. This exploration has transformed over time into a focus on I-beams and heavy gauge metal. Many of the pieces contain sections that are allowed to swing and rotate giving the overall forms a considerable degree of motion. He prides himself on his hands-on approach to the fabrication and installation of his work.

Di Suvero was a founding member of the Park Place Gallery and ConStruct, both artist-owned galleries, the former was the first SoHo Contemporary art gallery and the latter promoted and organized large-scale sculpture exhibitions throughout the United States. Other founding members include John Raymond Henry, Kenneth Snelson, Lyman Kipp and Charles Ginnever.

His distinctive, large bold pieces can be found all over the world. He continues to be the subject of multiple exhibitions and his commitment to emerging artists is undeniable through the Athena Foundation and the Socrates Sculpture Park. Di Suvero has received the Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the International Sculpture Center and in 2005, the 11th Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities for his commitment to aspiring artists.

Source - Wikipedia