Mark W. Clark is a graphic/web designer by day as well as musician, photographer and artist. Mark’s “meloddities” combine elements of depression-era tramp or folk art with the love of playing music. These are one-of-a-kind functional, playable art pieces using reclaimed, re-purposed “found” objects so they become impossible to mass produce or replicate. Many of the pieces incorporate used cigar boxes and antique violin cases along with hand-tooled or hand-carved wood such as oak, walnut, maple and jatoba.
Mark’s manifesto is simple. “Though I want my pieces to be visually compelling and unique, each instrument has to sound good and be relatively easy to play. I won’t make something that looks cool but doesn’t produce good sound or is difficult to play. They are musical instruments. You have to play them, not just hang them on the wall. Just like you don’t know what voice a baby has until he makes is first cry, you don’t discover the voice of an instrument until you first put strings on, tune and play. That’s the joy!
