Mark Hopkins
About
Mark Hopkins is a contemporary surrealist painter born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1959. He earned a BA in liberal arts from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, in 1981. His career spans extensive international travel and work in Asia, including studies in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Burma, and Mainland China from 1981-1992. He worked as a scene painter in Minneapolis for the Minnesota Opera, Tyrone Guthrie Theater, and film projects like Bruce Springsteen's 'Dancing in the Dark' from 1982-1987. In Thailand (1987-1995), he served as an adjunct professor at Chiang Mai University and directed the 6-Pole House cultural cabaret. Later periods included Bali (1995-1997) for freelance illustration and advertising, and Singapore (1997-1999) as CEO of Spikeart Productions. Since 1999, he has been based in Poughkeepsie, NY, founding Mark Hopkins Murals and Faux Finishes, focusing on murals, portraiture, and surreal paintings.[2][4][5]
Contemporary surrealism with playful visual distortion, juxtaposed symbols, abstract elements, and realistic mastery inspired by Salvador Dalí.
Selected Exhibitions
- 301 Gallery, Minneapolis, MN (1982)
- Six Pole House group show, Chiang Mai, Thailand (1989)
- Solo show - Hotel Chiang Mai, Thailand (1989)
- Armory Show, Poughkeepsie, NY (1990)
- Regal Bag exhibition, Newburgh, NY (2017)
- Hopkinesque by Mark Hopkins: Art That Thinks, Wallkill River