EXHIBITS & AWARDS

RESUME´

Letter From Mark Rendleman

Lynn Magruder
Grants Coordinator
New Mexico Arts Division
Santa Fe, N.M. 87501

Dear Lynn,
     After speaking to you about developing a more current resume of my non-painting activities I began looking back through my notebooks and collected memorabilia to remember what I have been doing. I quickly became overwhelmed. I have put so much energy into keeping up with my creative desires that keeping track of them was the last thing on my mind. (My last painting resume, the one I sent to you, only exists because I was pursuing my teaching career and I had a friend who was good enough to keep track of such things.) I have worked hard at not holding on to non- productive memories. Dates, places, and even names have become obscured. Even more frustrating for assembling such a resume is assigning a relative value to the various activities. What I remember as significant may seem insignificant to others. I can drop names and relate various associations that might impress someone knowledgeable in the performance, video, film, or music world, since most of the work is cooperative and associations are inherent. But what I would define as significant is most probably obscure except to those who have shared the experiences, as audience or participants. And most of what I have been doing I have stopped calling Art, partly because the contexts in which my work gets presented ie. nightclubs, theatres, a church, a convention center, and TV. It also seems unfair to claim as my art that in which so many have participated. I have been most fulfilled as a facilitator, a coordinator, and hopefully a teacher. I have always been uncomfortable with general or public recognition regarding my personal work. What remains most important to me is my education, the general expansion of knowledge and human experience, and what I can give to others, not the recognition my products or even a particular audience at this point.
     Excuse me for becoming so personal, but my consideration of doing a resume has been an involving experience that has led me back through my past, a place I have left behind. One of my realizations has been that perhaps I may not be a suitable nominee at this point (particularly if a formal current resume is essential). I had hoped to be of some service, but there are other times and opportunities. In the mean time, I have become intrigued with the idea of doing a current resume, to put my life in perspective, so when I have the time I will indulge in having the information tracked down. However it will take at least a few weeks, especially to get dates, so for now I will make an attempt to give you a general brief of my non-painting, or non-art/academic experiences :

• Early 1970's - Work published on visual perception. Bausch-Lomb Award. Prize for paper on visual illusions.
• Mid 1970's- Formed MER Arts Corporation for the creative development of others. Later this branched into MER Art Services for creative and professional media development, primarily in film and then video. Finished first films including "Home", "To and From", and "Evolution of the Image"(a teaching film).
• 1975-77 - Various performance art pieces and multi-media events, primarily in San Diego, California.
• 1977-1982 - Various performance art pieces on East coast (primarily Vermont and New York) including "The Image", "The Maul Dancer", "Who Stole Art?" and "Why Now?". Edited and published book "Continuous Nonsense and Other Fantasy Sources". Completed several films and videos including "Coast to Coast", "The Rafts of Gods", a couple documentaries on art process, several commissioned dance performance videos and rock music videos (pre-MTV). Also commercial art consultant work for channel 3 TV, Vermont.
• 1978- Made my first million dollars (primarily through investing). I mention this because it may be the most important application of my art and perceptions, and certainly suggests why I have been able to be so generous and do what I have done with Art.
• 1979-80's - Formed The Alibi, Inc. for the development of performance arts as entertainment (making art accessible). Developed real estate, Starr Mill, (purchased, designed, and renovated an old mill into a performing art center, night club, theatre, gallery/restaurant and sales). Began art networking group for promotion of new art, primarily new music.
• Early 80's - Began working with sound/experimental music, initially for film tracks then for commissioned dance and theatre pieces. Member of "R.E.D." (Radical Entertainment Development) a new music and video performance group (including Ottmar & Stefan Liebert) based in Boston that produced 3 records and several videos. Also performed with "Working Unit" initially from France, then Los Angeles, and now New York known as "Soma Holiday", combining new music, dance, art performance and video. Most presentations made in clubs such as: the Pyramid, 8BC, and the Ritz in New York; the Channel and S.P.I.T. in Boston; and L.H.A.S.A and Club Lingerie in Los Angeles, working with various artists and groups. Worked as art consultant or videographer on several music videos and experimental films.
  

Sincerely,
Mark Rendleman