Mark di Suvero

Mark di Suvero
Aurora, by di Suvero, at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
Birth name	Marco Polo di Suvero
Born	1933 (1933) Shanghai, China
Nationality	American
Field	Sculpture
Training	University of California, Berkeley

Marco Polo "Mark" di Suvero is an American abstract expressionist sculptor born Marco Polo Levi in Shanghai, China in 1933 to Italian expatriates. He immigrated to San Francisco, California in 1942 with his family. From 1953 to 1957, he attended the University of California, Berkeley to study 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 ^[1] 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 Annual Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities for his commitment to aspiring artists.

di Suvero currently lives in New York City with his second wife and daughter. He has three working studios, since 1981 in Long Island City, a former brickyard on the edge of the East River in Long Island ,an open air fabrication facility in Petaluma California, which he developed in partnership with first wife from 1975 to 1988 as the third studio on a river barge in Chalon-sur-Saône, France, since 1972.

He most recently published a book, titled Dreambook, a compilation of pictures of sculptures, poems, and ideas. The vibrant colors in it are reflected in the bright colors he always wears.

Education/Distinctions

• 1933 Born Shanghai, China
• 1942 Immigrated to USA
• 1953-54 San Francisco City College
• 1954-55 University of California, Santa Barbara
• 1957 University of California, Berkeley, B.A. Philosophy
• 1972 Chalon Sur Saone's barge studio
• 1975 Develops Petaluma's studio
• 1977 Starts Athena Foundation
• 1985 Establishes Socrates Sculpture Park
• 2000 International Sculpture Center Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2005 Heinz Award for Arts and Humanities
• 2010 National Medal of Arts

Sculptures in public collections and public spaces

United States

California

• Whale's Cry, 1987, Clos Pegase Winery, Calistoga
• Spud, 1967, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
• Teha, 1971, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
• Pre-Natal Memories, 1976, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
• Prison Dream, 1961, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
• Gandy Dancer's Dream, 1987–88, Getty Center, Los Angeles
• Shoshone, 1982, 444 S. Flower, Los Angeles
• Crochet, 1974, Gersh, Phillip & Beatrice, Los Angeles
• For Veronica, 1987, di Rosa Winery, Napa
• Homage to Charlie Parker, 1975, Oakland Museum, Oakland
• Ol' One Tooth, 1978, Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs
• Miwok, 1981, Center for Clinical Sciences at Stanford University, Palo Alto
• The Sieve of Eratosthenes, 1999, Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, Palo Alto
• Ferro, 1982, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
• Isis, 1978, North Harbor Drive & Laurel Street, San Diego
• Pax Jerusalem, 1999, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco^[2]
• Sea Change, 1978, South Beach Park, Pier 40, San Francisco
• Voxel 2000, 2000, Venice Beach
• Symbiosis, 1989, Runnymede Sculpture Farm, Woodside
• Yi!, 1983–86, Runnymede Sculpture Farm, Woodside

Colorado

• Lao Tzu, 1991, Denver Art Museum, Denver
• Sai Chen Lan 1992, Denver Art Museum, Denver

Connecticut

• Borealis, 1988, Greenwich Plaza, Greenwich
• Alpha, 1968, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven

District of Columbia

• Are Years What? (for Marianne Moore), 1967, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington
• Homage to Martin Luther King, 1968, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington
• The A Train, 1965, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington
• Aurora, 1993, National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.

Florida

• Untitled, 1967, Federal Reserve Bank - Miami Branch, Miami
• Bojangles, 1966–67, Martin Z. Margulies Sculpture Park, Florida International University, Miami
• Untitled, 1977, Martin Z. Margulies Sculpture Park, Florida International University, Miami
• Gnarly, 2008, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Miami
• Oolam-pali, 2008, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Miami

Hawaii

• Gualala, 1977, Honolulu Academy of Arts
• Shadowdance, 1984, Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu

Illinois

• Choopy, 2007, Merchandise Mart, Chicago
• No Title for Sure, 1968, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• Prairie Chimes, 1969, Governors State University, University Park
• Yes! For Lady Day, 1969, Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park, University Park

Indiana

Snowplow

• Helmholtz, 1985, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne
• Han, 1979, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne
• Keepers of the Fire, 1980, Century Center, South Bend
• Snowplow, 1968, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis

Iowa

• Shadowframe, 1973, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines
• T8, 1985, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines
• Untitled, 1971, University of Iowa Museum of Art, Iowa City

Kentucky

• Untitled, 1972, University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington
• Pollock's Indians, 1976, Speed Art Museum, Louisville

Maine

• Untitled (Hand), 1959, Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick

Maryland

• Under Sky/One Family, 1980, The City of Baltimore, Baltimore
• Sister Lu, 1979, Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore

Massachusetts

• Aesop's Fables, II, 2005, MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge
• NJT, 1960, List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge
• Huru, 1984, Arts on the Point Sculpture Park, Boston
• Sunflowers for Vincent, 1983, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln
• Untitled, 1972, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton
• Nantucket

Michigan

• For Ben Webster, 2001, Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids
• Scarlatti, 2000, Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids
• For Mother Teresa, 1998, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills
• Motu Viget, 1977, Gerald R Ford Federal Building, Grand Rapids
• Pablo's Legacy, 1980, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit
• Tom, 1959, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit
• Orion, 2007, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor

Minnesota

• Gorky's Pillow, 1987, Franconia Sculpture Park, Franconia
• Inner Search, 1980, Norwest Operations Center, Minneapolis
• Arikidea, 1982, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
• Molecule, 1983, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
• Stuyvesant's Eye, 1965, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis

Missouri

• Bornibus, 1973, Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis
• Destino, 2003, Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis
• Old Buddy (for Rosko), 1993–95, Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis
• Tumbleweed, 1985–87, Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis
• Praise for Elohim Adomnai, 1966, Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis
• Rumi, 1991, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City
• Beppe, 1978–95, University of Missouri–St. Louis (on loan from Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis)

Nebraska

• Old Glory, 1986, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

New Hampshire

• X-Delta, 1970, Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, Hanover
• Origins, 2001–2004, Currier Museum of Art, Manchester

New York

• Caramba, 1994, Riggio, Leonard, Bridgehampton
• Jive, 1977, Pratt Institute Sculpture Park, Brooklyn
• Cubo Arcane, 1997, Museum of Modern Art, New York
• Exclamation, 1980–81, Museum of Modern Art, New York
• For Gonzalez, 1973, Museum of Modern Art, New York
• For Roebling, 1971, Museum of Modern Art, New York
• Ladderpiece, 1962, Museum of Modern Art, New York
• Hankchampion, 1960, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
• New York Dawn (for Lorca), 1965, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
• Joie de Vivre, 1998, Zuccotti Park, Manhattan
• Mon Père, Mon Père, 1975, Storm King Art Center, Mountainville
• Mother Peace, 1970, Storm King Art Center, Mountainville
• Mozart's Birthday, 1989, Storm King Art Center, Mountainville
• Pyramidian, 1998, Storm King Art Center, Mountainville
• Beethoven's Quartet, 2003, Storm King Art Center, Mountainville
• Chonk On, 2002, Storm King Art Center, Mountainville
• For Chris, 1991, Storm King Art Center, Mountainville
• Frogs Legs, 2002, Storm King Art Center, Mountainville
• Jambalaya, 2002–06, Storm King Art Center, Mountainville
• Mahatma, 1978–79, Storm King Art Center, Mountainville
• One O'Klock, 1968–69, Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor
• Double Tetrahedron, 2004, Salem Art Works, Salem
• For Euler, 1997, Salem Art Works, Salem

North Carolina

• To Be, 1996, Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro

Ohio

• Atman, 1979, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati
• Blubber, 1980, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo
• Eagle Wheel, 1979, Akron Museum of Art, Akron
• For Kepler, 1995, Miami University Art Museum, Oxford
• Tock, 1971, Weston, Harris & Alice, Cincinnati

Pennsylvania

• Victor's Lament, 1970, Muhlenberg College, Allentown
• Iroquois, 1999, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia

Rhode Island

• Untitled, 1969, Museum of Art, Providence

Tennessee

• Swizzle, Chattanooga State Technical Community College, Chattanooga

Texas

• Untitled, 1980, Buhsnami Sculpture Garden, Burton
• Ulalu, 2001, Bayfront Arts and Science Park, Corpus Christi
• Proverb, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Hall, Dallas
• Ad Astra, 2005, NorthPark Center Mall, Dallas
• Eviva Amore, 2001, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas
• For F.B. Yeats, 1987, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas
• In the Bushes, 1975, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas
• Ave, 1973, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas
• Bygones, 1976, Menil Collection, Houston
• First European Variable Sculpture, 1973, Janie C. Lee Gallery, Houston
• Pranath Yama, 1978, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
• Clock Knot, 2008, University of Texas, Austin

Washington

• Scissors, 1976, Restricted Owner, Bellevue
• For Handel, 1975, Western Washington University, Bellingham
• Mindseye, 1978, Western Washington University, Bellingham
• The Answer, , Jon and Mary Shirley, Medina
• Charles, Merrill, Robin, Bing, 1967, Restricted Owner, Seattle
• Hand, 1962, Restricted Owner, Seattle
• Bunyon's Chess, 1965, Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle
• Schubert Sonata, 1992, Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle

Wisconsin

The Calling

• Lover, 1973, The Bradley Family Foundation Sculpture Garden, Milwaukee
• Poland, 1968, The Bradley Family Foundation Sculpture Garden, Milwaukee
• The Calling, 1982, Bluff Park, Milwaukee

International

Australia

• Ik ook, 1972, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Canada

• Sticky Wicket, 1978, Art Gallery of York University, Toronto
• Flower Power, 1967, Concord CityPlace, Toronto

France

• Extase, 1991, Technopôle Brest-Iroise site, Brest
• Etoile Polaire, 1973, Museum of Grenoble, Grenoble
• Place of the Invalids, 1997, La ville Chalon-sur-Saône
• Etoile du Jour, 1991, Quai André-Citroën, Paris
• Vivaldi, 1993, La Ville de Valence, Valence

New Star

Germany

• L'Allume, 1992, Bonn
• Spring Rain, 1992, Technoseum, Mannheim
• Racine du Naos, 1996, Skulpturen Park Köln, Cologne
• Galileo, 1996, DaimlerChrysler Collection, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin
• New Star, 1992, Viersen sculpture collection

Netherlands

• K-piece, 1972, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo

Spain

• Homage to Brancusi, 1962, Museu d´Art Contemporani de Barcelona - MACBA, Barcelona

Sweden

• Blue Arch for Matisse, 1962, Moderna Museet, Stockholm

United Kingdom

Nelly

• Nelly, 1986, Yorkshire Sculpture Park - YSP, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
• Tyne Anew, 1999, Albert Edward Dock, North Shields

References

1. ^ Blanton Museum, retrieved September1, 2008
2. ^ Baker, Kenneth (2000-07-16). "A Legion of Concerns Over Sculpture: Di Suvero's mediocre `Pax Jerusalem' may signal a troubling trend at Fine Arts Museums". San Francisco Chronicle. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/07/16/PK22392.DTL&type=art. Retrieved 2007-07-24. 

External links

• BIOGRAPHY for Mark Di Suvero
• The Heinz Awards, Mark di Suvero profile
• ISC Lifetime Achievement Award
• International Sculpture Center
• Storm King Art Center
• Mark di Suvero and di Suvero family papers at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art
• Mark Di Suvero biography page at LA Louver gallery

Persondata
Name	Suvero, Mark di
Alternative names
Short description	sculptor
Date of birth	1933
Place of birth	Shanghai, China
Date of death
Place of death