Mark Oldland, Honorable Mention

Sculptor Mark Oldland won the coveted designation of Honorable Mention from judges Edwin Hamilton, Debra LeHane, and Steve Oliver at the opening of the 6th Annual Cloverdale Sculpture Exhibit with his wind-driven work, “Posing Kinetic”.

The piece is fast becoming a local favorite, with its unpredictable motion. This is right in line with Mark’s intent: he described his piece as “a wind-driven kinetic – I deliberately avoid vanes which move too predictably, so that when idle/static, people could easily guess what the vane will do once the breeze activates it again. Very light breeze activates this design. In 25-60 mph wind it goes into what I call “grazing mode”, its movement then reminding me of grazing beasts. With this behavior, it has the least exposure to the wind. Rotation ceases and only incremental lateral movement occurs. It can be a rather meditative experience to watch this thing perform”.  

Mark grew up in an urban setting, and drew early inspiration from the public artworks he encountered. He stated that “tacit permission for further adventures in design resides in these public expressions. They shower some of us with creative ‘sparks’. It’s not the kind of thing you can hold onto, or put a lid on. I am seeking to return this energy, these permissions, to our society somehow. My goal is to encourage creative flow, to pass along the torch I unwittingly and instinctually grasped”.