Earth Rise
MARK BRANDVIK
Moapa Valley Community Center, Overton, Nevada
Dedication Wednesday, November 1, 2023, 5-7 pm
Earth Rise is a work conceived in part as a gateway to Michael Heizer’s Double Negative, a massive earthwork sculpture located on Mormon Mesa
approximately 8 miles northeast of this location. Inspired by that work’s initial creation and ongoing weathering, the composition of steel forms echoes the rising explosive forces associated with large-scale excavation as well as the collapsing dynamics or erosion. Landforms and archaeology found in the nearby landscape are recalled, and Space Age imagery from the same era of large earthwork creation evokes a distinctly American spirit of discovery. Subtle glyphs carved into the weathered steel forms honor the Moapa Valley community that helped build Double Negative and has hosted art travelers from around the world for over 50 years.
Mark Brandvik, born in Las Vegas, Nevada, received a BFA from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His work has been featured in various exhibitions and projects throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, and can be found in private, public, and corporate collections. The recipient of many grants, commissions, and residencies, he has been recognized for his painting and sculpture. In addition to his art practice, Mark Brandvik has taught studio art since 1997 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the College of Southern Nevada. The artist lives and maintains a studio in downtown Las Vegas.
For more information about Mark visit: markbrandvik.com.