Mark Steven Greenfield

Mark Steven Greenfield (born 1951, Los Angeles, California) is an African-American visual artist.

Early life and education The son of a military man, Mark Steven Greenfield spent his early childhood in Germany and Taiwan. As an only child, Greenfield describes the challenges of being alone, "s far as diversity," he says, "I was about it." Overseas, Greenfield developed a sense of uniqueness that he later describes as "transforming itself into strength in the face of adversity" when he returned to Los Angeles in 1960 at the age of ten.

Reintegration into Los Angeles's African American culture proved difficult for many reasons, namely, because while Greenfield was overseas he had been spared the personal humiliation of racism. Returning at the height of the civil rights conflicts, Greenfield became newly acquainted with the experiences facing African American youth. It was also during this time that the artist's parents divorced, his father moving to Florida and his mother now faced with the challenges of having to support the two of them on her own. During college, Greenfield turned his energies and focus to African American Studies and immersed himself in campus life and activism.

Art and creative work By 1969, relatively early in the artist's career, Greenfield had embraced art as a means of self-expression-- "I felt that many times with my father being so dominating, I had no chance to express my feelings...doing my art gave me a chance to express who I was."

Greenfield was a 2016 Artist-in-Residence at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation in Charlotte, NC. After a residency in Brazil in 2014 the focus of his work is now turning towards the topic of contemporary eguns.

Other work Throughout his career, Greenfield has had affiliations with no less than 25 associations and public service agencies.

Exhibitions

Sep, 2014 Lookin’ Back in Front of Me: Selected Works of Mark Steven Greenfield, 1974–2014 California African American Museum

Sep, 2014 EAT.DRINK.ART - A Kaleidoscope of the Senses Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park (LAMAG)

Mar, 2014 RISE: Love. Revolution. Black Panther Party. Closing Reception Art Share L.A.

Feb, 2014 RISE: Love, Revolution, the Black Panthers Art Share L.A.

Sep, 2013 Offramp Gallery - Fifth Anniversary Showcase Offramp Gallery

Jun, 2013 2013 Monster Drawing Rally Armory Center for the Arts

Apr, 2013 Mark Steven Greenfield: Closing Reception and Artist Talk Offramp Gallery

Mar, 2013 Wine Tasting with Mark Steven Greenfield and Colorado Wine Company Offramp Gallery

Mar, 2013 ONE SHOT : [SPACES] The Loft at Liz's

Mar, 2013 Writing Down the Bones / An Alchemy of Arts & Letters California African American Museum

Mar, 2013 Animalicious Offramp Gallery 2013

Mar, 2013 Wine Tasting with Mark Steven Greenfield and Colorado Wine Cmmpany Offramp Gallery

Mar, 2013 Mark Steven Greenfield: Animalicious Offramp Gallery

Feb, 2013 Democracy in Art and Life Palos Verdes Art Center

Jan, 2013 PRINT: DEMOCRACY IN ART AND LIFE Palos Verdes Art Center

Nov, 2012 Letters From Los Angeles: Text in Southern California Art Jack Rutberg Fine Arts

Nov, 2012 Underexposed Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock

Nov, 2012 From Bukowski to St. John the Evangelist Avenue 50 Studio

Oct, 2012 2012 C.O.L.A. Exhibition: Conversations with the Artists (October 19) Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park (LAMAG)

Oct, 2012 Go Tell it on the Mountain California African American Museum

Sep, 2012 2012 C.O.L.A. Individual Artist Fellowships Exhibition Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park (LAMAG)

Sep, 2012 Sea of Exchange: Ireland - Los Angeles LA Print Space @ Pacific Design Center

Apr, 2012 18th Street Arts Center's ArtNight 18th Street Arts Center

Apr, 2012 Visions from the New California 18th Street Arts Center

May, 2011 Doo-Dahz Offramp Gallery 2011

May, 2011 Doo-Dahz Offramp Gallery

Dec, 2010 Holiday Season Art Show LA Artcore Brewery Annex

Nov, 2010 inSCRIPTion: ... text ... image ... action ... Cerritos College Art Gallery

Nov, 2010 LATITUDE 34-40 Art 1307 Villa Di Donato

Sep, 2010 Social/Political Content José Drudis-Biada Art Gallery

Apr, 2010 4TH INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE SHOW WITH THAILAND LA Artcore Union Center for the Arts

Mar, 2010 4TH INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE SHOW WITH THAILAND LA Artcore Brewery Annex

Jan, 2010 Spirituality in Art Avenue 50 Studio

Dec, 2009 Testimonies Two - Contemporary Ex-Votos Avenue 50 Studio

Dec, 2009 “Testimonies Two - Contemporary Ex-Votos” Avenue 50 Studio

Nov, 2009 Monster Drawing Rally Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock

Aug, 2009 A Collectors Tardeada Avenue 50 Studio

Jul, 2009 Othello's Ghost Offramp Gallery

May, 2009 COLA 2009 Individual Artist Fellowships Exhibition Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park (LAMAG)

Apr, 2009 "WEST SOUTHWEST: ABQ - LA EXCHANGE" LA Artcore Brewery Annex

Apr, 2009 "WEST SOUTHWEST: ABQ - LA EXCHANGE" LA Artcore Union Center for the Arts

Feb, 2009 Whim-Wham Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park (LAMAG)

Aug, 2008 Mammygraphs Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art

Mar, 2008 Film Screening and Discussion Sweeney Art Gallery

Jan, 2008 Incognegro: New Works by Mark Steven Greenfield Sweeney Art Gallery

Sep, 2007 Incognegro 18th Street Arts Center

Jul, 2001 PIXX Watts Towers Arts Center