Mark Cowardin: Chit Chat

Sharon & Lance Beshore Gallery

Inspired by his personal history of growing up surrounded by mining remnants and chat piles near his childhood home in rural Joplin, Mark Cowardin's Chit Chat series is a modern sculptural marvel for viewers. These locations once served as his magical playgrounds and regular destinations for youthful imagination. Simultaneously enchanting and horrific, these remnants of lead and zinc extraction expose the need for a more thoughtful and careful balance of interaction with nature.

Most of Mark's Chit Chat works began with molding of actual rocks from these playground/chat piles, and then cast into ceramic. Defying gravity and implying various functions of extraction and consumption, these works are playful illustrations of not only our dependence on nature but also the impact of our presence.