AMM Artist Spotlight: Mark Conrad Wessel

Art Management Magazine: Who in your opinion are the happiest people?

Mark Conrad Wessel: In my life travels (over 12,500 international flights worldwide) I can say without a doubt that the true happiest people in the world are those furthest removed from mankind’s evolution during the past century. The indigenous tribes in the Amazons, in Australia, South East Asia, Africa and South America who have been less exposed to modern day social media, technology advances who live their lives typically at poverty level, in fact spent their lives with a much higher degree of personal happiness and positive karma; which is something that comes from the interaction with mother earth; their recognition of the gift of living on planet earth that was built in a perfect eco-stasis originally and attempting to respect nature; their interaction with other humans and living creatures living in their proximity and not from materials goods and products.

AMM: Why now and not tomorrow?

MCW: Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today. Life is a very short experience and our destiny nor the time we have on earth is something that isn’t under our control; therefore, one must from your early days strive to maximize your life’s experiences, via travel, art, culture, person physical fitness and proper health disciplines as well as development of becoming a happy inner person. Today is the first day of the rest of your life; yesterday and your complete post-life cannot be regenerated or re-lived. Every day do something positive for yourself and use your energy to also create and leave something behind for all others as well as yourself to look back on.

AMM: What is your mission?

MCW: My personal mission has been since my childhood to leave the world a better place than when I found it. As mankind continues to evolve the question comes to mind; if humans were gifted with intelligence, memory and understanding then why hasn’t the level of qualify of life improved as recent history has unfolded. It is my belief that all humans were created equal non-withstanding in which time in history; in what part of the world one is born into, into what religious faith; into what social or economic status.

As the powers to be that rule our planet and destiny continue on their quest for money and power; the truth be that the mass population of our planet continues on a downward spiral. Each day its becoming harder for the masses to even subsist and provide for their families and at some time this will explode for those that rule the world.

It is my belief though that the masses can change the course and destiny of mankind; natural and economic resources exist in each country that are yet able to provide the necessary tools to improve the environment of our planet as well as more than provide the resources for the masses to improve their living, educational and cultural standards.  We are all one big family living on this planet; as such and as intelligent beings the world should collectively focus on how to use all available resources to improve and not destroy the living conditions for the species.

ARTIST’S MANIFESTO

Life as such is the ultimate gift for everyone and as such it should be treated with a profound sense of gratitude; being fully aware of one’s surroundings, the interaction with all other life forms, the planet that we inhabit; where our life experiences take us geographically and the time in history that we occupy.

Humans have been designed and created with the capability of having intelligence and emotions; each one of us has in our DNA the inherent ability to express some of these traits outwards through the expression of thoughts and feelings by means of visual artistic mediums including painting.

I believe that each person has the capability to express oneself artistically; everyone in fact. I also believe that each human being has their own personalized and unique make-up; their own palette so to speak of skills and tools that they can use; should they choose to express their thoughts, feelings, and sentiments visually throughout any form of art.

As we go thru our life, we realize that all we have in fact et al is our karma and memories. These though are lost with our passing; but what we are though capable of doing is leave our personal legacy in the form of our expressions through art; as we manifest it.

I believe in personal creativity, visions from within and that each of us needs to manifest their very own original self-unto others; with the objective that others may recognize and capture in their own mind, heart, and soul the intention of the artists expression of his artwork in their own manner.

I as stated am a self-taught artist; I’ve never had a drawing, painting nor art class and every time that I mount a new canvas, I close my eyes and let the pencil take my inner energy and feelings at that moment and freely transfer those onto the canvas as it occurs at that moment. I rotate my canvas in every direction and start to see at a given point an image form on which I continue to build on and develop my artwork.

Each of my art pieces represents something, each has a motive and a meaning; be it a symbolic expression or a real-life vision. I seek that when someone views my artwork that my painting produces a spark in the beholder; that it triggers in their mind a reaction; their own vision and interpretation of what my visual expression is portrayed to be.

Color, forms & shading are mixed to portray a story; a thought, a vision or a feeling about basic life essentials; the direction of mankind as the world hurls through space and time and with the relief for those that believe that our existence be eternal; and short as it may be on earth, is that we are here in passing; we are here to learn and live through experiences in preparation for the next step of our eternal existence.

As such it is also our duty and obligation to leave the world a better place than when we found it including creating visions of our feelings, experiences, and expressions for other to interpret today and in the future.

Life is good live it to the fullest!

Mark Conrad Wessel

Art and painting became a passion at an early stage in his life. Both his parents were painters, Mark is self-taught in the art of painting. Marks other passions include cooking, carpentry, music, and mountain climbing. His global experiences have played a role in his motives and representation of art throughout his life.

Born in Toronto, Canada of Russian-German origin, Mark was raised in a small coastal fishing village in Altea, Spain and became a resident of Costa Rica in the mid 1970’s when his family started an agriculture development project in the jungles of Costa Rica. In the 1980’s he lived in Panama for 5 years likewise developing jungle properties creating employment, educational and cultural programs and improving the living standards for low-income families. Mark has since lived in Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba and California, United States.

Mark has over 35 years’ experience in international business development in global trade & commerce; high level banking and specialized financial engineering and global project development and speaks several  languages.  A dynamic leader with a passion for people, the environment, and providing quality service. Graduate of FSU with post graduate studies at LSU, USA. Mr. Wessel holds his degree in international commerce with majors in marketing and finance.

Mark is a seasoned facilitator at high levels, a creative visionary with an exemplary business track record on a global scale.  Some of the highlights of Mr. Wessel’s career include:

• Development of profitable international sales programs, trade, and representation offices in over 100 countries in the Americas, Europe, Russia, Mid East Asia and Africa. Over the past 25 years Mr. Wessel’s expertise and worldwide strategic alliance and contact network covers a significant number of relations with major worldwide organizations, governments, and companies.

• Accreditation since Mr. Wessel 2008 by a major foundation accredited by the UN Security Council as Roving Ambassador for Latin America facilitating meetings with Heads of State in the region and globally for funding of socio-economic, commercial, humanitarian and infrastructure projects.