Mark Velasquez
Encyclopedia
Mark Velasquez is a photographer who competed on the first season of Bravo's reality television competition, Work of Art: The Next Great Artist
.
and Cornish College of the Arts
(Seattle, Washington) where he studied drawing, sculpture and performance art. Velasquez is an Eagle Scout
and a member of the Elks. He has worked at his family's restaurant Tom's Take-Out since he was 14 years old in a variety of roles, most notably as a fry cook. He realized his love for photography after he began photographically documenting his own performance art pieces.
as his primary inspiration. "Rockwell used people from his small town, his friends, neighbors, children ... making art from what you have around you."
. Honig wanted to depict hell through Velasquez's abdominal scar, a visual record of his bout with diverticulitis
. While Mark initially fought back, saying that he didn't feel that the scar represented hell, he eventually acquiesced. The judges found the concept "uninspiring and clichéd." Host China Chow
notably "fought back tears" while announcing the judges' decision that Velasquez would not continue.
, an acronym for Not Safe For Work, is a quarterly publication. Each issue is centered around a theme and features photographs and writings by Velasquez, a column written by Hilary Underwood, and photographs of model Kacie Marie.
Work of Art: The Next Great Artist
Work of Art: The Next Great Artist is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which up-and-coming artists compete for a solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum and a cash prize of $100,000. The show is produced by Pretty Matches Productions and...
.
Early life
Velasquez attended and was an altar boy at St. Mary of the Assumption School and St. Louis de Montfort School. He attended St. Joseph High School (Santa Maria, California)St. Joseph High School (Santa Maria, California)
St. Joseph High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Orcutt, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.-Notable alumni:*Mark Brunell, NFL quarterback*Mark Velasquez, "Work of Art" Season One, 2010...
and Cornish College of the Arts
Cornish College of the Arts
-Library:The library at Cornish College specializes in art, dance, design, music, performance production, and theatre. As of 2011 it holds 4700 CDs, 40,000 books, has 2,200 videos, and subscribes to 154 periodicals...
(Seattle, Washington) where he studied drawing, sculpture and performance art. Velasquez is an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
and a member of the Elks. He has worked at his family's restaurant Tom's Take-Out since he was 14 years old in a variety of roles, most notably as a fry cook. He realized his love for photography after he began photographically documenting his own performance art pieces.
Influences
While Velasquez's imagery can be alluring and often features scantily clad women, he cites Norman RockwellNorman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
as his primary inspiration. "Rockwell used people from his small town, his friends, neighbors, children ... making art from what you have around you."
Work of Art: The Next Great Artist
In August 2009 Velasquez participated in the in Los Angeles, California open casting call for Bravo TV's art-themed reality television program Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. He was selected to be a contestant and competed on the program for 8 of 10 episodes until being voted off during episode 8: Opposites Attract, a Heaven and Hell-themed collaborative challenge with co-contestant Peregrine HonigPeregrine Honig
Peregrine Honig is an American artist whose work is concerned with the relationship between pop culture, sexual vulnerability, social anxieties, the ethics of luxury and trends in consumerism.- Work :...
. Honig wanted to depict hell through Velasquez's abdominal scar, a visual record of his bout with diverticulitis
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon...
. While Mark initially fought back, saying that he didn't feel that the scar represented hell, he eventually acquiesced. The judges found the concept "uninspiring and clichéd." Host China Chow
China Chow
China Chow is a British actress and model.-Personal life:Chow was born in London, England to restaurateur Michael Chow and late model/designer Tina Chow. She is of Chinese, Japanese, German, and Scottish ancestry. Chow has a brother who is three years younger. Her aunt is actress and one-time Bond...
notably "fought back tears" while announcing the judges' decision that Velasquez would not continue.
Show & Tell
May 2010 marked the publication of Show & Tell, an 80-page hard-cover book collecting Velasquez's photographs of six models who represent milestones in his early career. The book includes ruminations on his experiences and relationships with each model and how both have changed over the course of their friendships.NSFW magazine
In November 2010 Velasquez launched NSFW magazine with collaborator Michael Neff. NSFWNSFW
Not suitable/safe for work , not work-suitable/safe , or not school-suitable is Internet slang or shorthand...
, an acronym for Not Safe For Work, is a quarterly publication. Each issue is centered around a theme and features photographs and writings by Velasquez, a column written by Hilary Underwood, and photographs of model Kacie Marie.
External links
- markvelasquez.com Official website
- Mark Velasquez Photography on Facebook
- http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/35349/the-work-of-art-exit-interview-mark-velasquez/Work of Art exit interview with ArtinfoARTINFOArtinfo is the web site of Louise Blouin Media, a cultural media group.Artinfo focuses on coverage of the art world and culture with daily updates of breaking news, artist profiles, stories about collectors and collecting, gallery round-ups from around the world, market trends and analysis, and...
] - http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/07/29/the-morning-after-mark-velasquez-is-eliminated-on-bravos-work-of-art-ive-been-crying-for-the-last-twelve-hours-so-forgive-me-pleaseThe StrangerThe Stranger (newspaper)The Stranger is an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs a blog known as Slog.-History:The Stranger was founded by Tim Keck, who had previously co-founded the satirical newspaper The Onion, and cartoonist James Sturm. Its first issue came out on September 23, 1991...
coverage of Mark's progress on Work of Art] - NSFW on Facebook