Mark Lunning
Things of Nature, Nature of Things
“Layers of nature, pathways, and life experiences all play a part in my imagery. Being a Colorado native, it’s difficult not to be impacted by the beauty of this state. In nature, I enjoy seeing the similarities between things close and far away in their abstract and formal elements. I am influenced by the movement and repetition of varied patterns, and the evolving changes of light, color, and shape. This inspires me to mix the mediums of photo-etching, monotype, and colle’ in this series of work. My printmaking includes many traditional and non-traditional techniques. In my printing process the images evolve and change from one print to the next by incorporating different colored inks and colle’ papers to push the work beyond traditional limits of print editions.”
As a child, Mark Lunning enjoyed drawing and watercolors. While taking piano lessons at the age of twelve, Mark picked up on painting techniques his piano teacher was learning in an art class. He practiced the techniques and brought his paintings in to show his teacher. After seeing his work, the piano teacher suggested to Mark’s parents that his interest was in the visual arts, not music. His parents took her advice and enrolled him in art lessons at Studio West Gallery in Arvada, Colorado, where Mark painted and drew next to adults as peers.
Mark’s early interest in and talent for the visual arts, influenced his art activities in junior high and high school. He was a member of the National Art Honor Society and continued to develop his talents throughout his youth. He attended the University of Northern Colorado, majoring in Visual Arts with an emphases in Drawing and Art History. He received the Mariani Talentship Award in both his junior and senior years of college.
After college, Mark continued to pursue a career in the arts while working for an engineering firm as a land surveyor instrument man. He was one of the youngest artists to show work at InkFish Gallery in 1985 and was a member of Pirate: A Contemporary Art Oasis, from 1986 to 1993. To date, Mark has shown work in more than 200 exhibitions.
In 1986, Mark shared a studio with artist Mike Duffy, who owned an etching press. Mark was inspired to explore printmaking further, and after Duffy moved away, Mark searched Denver for a place to make prints. InkFish Gallery sponsored him to work with Meg Ingraham, a Denver Lithography artist. This was his chance to explore monotypes beyond his printmaking experience in college. He had a drive to pursue his interest in intaglio printmaking; but Denver lacked a public facility for doing so at the time. Mark asked his artist friends if they would use a public printmaking facility if there was one available, and he received overwhelming support. Ever the enterprising entrepreneur, Mark decided to quit is day job, and started his own printmaking facility, Open Press Ltd., in January 1989.
In 1990 at the age of 29, Mark had an opportunity to exchange studios with Domenic, a Spanish artist. Mark lived and worked in Barcelona, Spain, while Domenic pursued his work in Denver. It was a life changing experience for both artists. Mark became inspired by the work of Joan Miro, Antoni Tapies, Salvador Dali, Antoni Gaudi, and many other European artists. He found making and viewing art in Spain an unforgettable, magical experience. The creative exchange gave Mark the sense that he could make art with emotional freedom, a quality present in the work exhibited in his one man show at InkFish Gallery in 1991.
In 1995, Mark started teaching at the Arts Students League of Denver, (ASLD). This gave him the opportunity in 1997 and 1999 to participate in ASLD’s Auvillar, France exchange program. He participated in shows, made art, juried an art exhibition in Auvillar, and also traveled to view art in Paris and Bilbao, Spain.
Mark continues to run Open Press Ltd. as the master printer. He also teaches printmaking at ASLD. He is dedicated to educating students about traditional and contemporary printmaking techniques, and to continuing to experiment with and build on techniques in his own work. At Open Press, Mark provides a studio for professional artists to make prints in an environment that encourages growth and learning. He has worked with many of the region’s finest artists, including Dale Chisman, Joellyn Duesberry, Dave Yust, Tony Ortega, and Doris Laughton. Today, Mark divides his time between making his own prints, painting, teaching and helping others make their art.
Select Exhibitions
Center for Visual Arts, Augustana College, ”One Man Show”, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 2008
Lessedra Gallery, “6th Lessedra World Art Print Annual Mini Print”, Sofia, Bulgaria 2007
Republic Plaza, “The Art of Printmaking”, Denver, Colorado 2007
Business of Art Center, “Hot off the Press”, Printmakers Invitational, Manitou Springs, Colorado 2006
Gallery of Contemporary Art, “Open Press a 15 Year Retrospective”, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, 2004
Galeria Mirarte, San Roman, Caracas, Venezuela 2003
Walker Fine Art, “Precision”, Denver, Colorado 2003
William Havu Gallery, “Circles”, Denver, Colorado 2001
Community Center Gallery “Faculty of ASLD Denver”, Auvillar, France 1999
Pirate Alley, “Freedom”, Denver Colorado 1997
Lincoln Center’s Intimate Gallery, “Prints”, Fort Collins, Colorado
Mackey Gallery, “Open Press Print Show”, Denver, Colorado 1992
Pirate a Contemporary Oasis, “Save the Ozone”, Denver, Colorado 1990
Shwayder Gallery at Denver University, “David Adams Collection”, Denver, Colorado 1989
Loveland Museum and Gallery, “Connections: Artists Choose Artists”, Loveland, Colorado 1986
Laguna Gloria Art Museum, “Texas Fine Art Association National Show”, Austin Texas 1984
Horizon’s Gallery, “Delineations”, Fort Collins, Colorado 1983
Lincoln Center, “Poudre Valley Art League Regional”, Fort Collins, Colorado 1982
Select Awards
Alliance for Contemporary Art of the Denver Art Museum, AFKEY Award for Support and Contribution to the Arts 1995
Nepenthe Mundi Society, Emerald City Classic, National Juried Exhibition, First Place Drawing, Wichita, Kansas 1985
Mariani Talentship Award, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado 1983, 1982
Select Publications
“Open Press Celebrates ‘Core’”, by Mary Voelz Chandler, Rocky Mountain News, August 27, 2004
“Exhibits Mark Growing Stature of Mark Lunning, Open Press”, by Kyle MacMillan, Denver Post, December 26, 2003
“Change in the Weather ”, review by Michael Paglia, Westword, June 1-7, 2000
“Epitomizing the Denver ‘Look’”, review by Patrick Frank, Icon, April 1991
“Lunning Collages Show Intensity”, review by Stephen Rosen, Denver Post, March 24, 1993
“Mark A. Lunning”, review by Dan Thigpen, New Art Examiner, October, 1991
“Colorado Letter”, review by Nancy Clegg, ARTSPACE: Southwestern Contemporary Arts Quarterly, Fall 1988
