2008 Woodie Awards
Art of the centuries
Looking at mythical meanings and social interpretations
Roddy, Zack
Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: Culture
On Thursday, Feb. 21, artist Mark Allen Soderstrom presented his newest exhibit, Parallax, during its opening reception in the Reese Bullen Gallery. Soderstrom, a Humboldt State University alumnus, later earned his Master of Fine Arts from Mills College and currently owns Southstream Arts Services in Arcata, Calif., where he now lives.
His newest venture, Parallax, explores many different themes from ancient mythology and religious beliefs, to more modern ones, such as the uses of prescription medications, all while adding satire and beauty to each piece in different individualistic ways. Soderstrom uses a variety of different mediums including canvas work, leather, steel, prescription bottles, and a double-pronged syringe in order to present each of his finished products.
Parallax has been a work in progress for a very long time. Soderstrom spent nearly a decade working on this exhibit. "I started this body of work about six years ago," Soderstrom said. Recalling his original inspiration behind Parallax, Soderstrom said, "I was always interested in how people come to compare different stories and myths. The belt was the first piece I made, based on the mythological story."
Some of the pieces presented problems for Soderstrom. One particular piece, entitled 'The Divining Rod,' which looks like an ordinary piece of beach wood, proved to be one of Soderstrom's biggest challenges. "A lot of these pieces have been difficult to make," Soderstrom said. "Finding the wood was the hardest. I contacted someone in England and finally got information on the type of wood that was used in that age. I took many trips hiking through the coast searching for the wood. I tried really hard to contain the functionality of the piece and the story through the branches' design."
Reaction to Soderstrom's work so far has been positive. Nick Hemphill, a sophomore English and art major, liked the piece titled 'Pharmacopoeia.' "I really like this piece. I'm intrigued by the idea of the different medications and how openly they're used in our world," he said.
His newest venture, Parallax, explores many different themes from ancient mythology and religious beliefs, to more modern ones, such as the uses of prescription medications, all while adding satire and beauty to each piece in different individualistic ways. Soderstrom uses a variety of different mediums including canvas work, leather, steel, prescription bottles, and a double-pronged syringe in order to present each of his finished products.
Parallax has been a work in progress for a very long time. Soderstrom spent nearly a decade working on this exhibit. "I started this body of work about six years ago," Soderstrom said. Recalling his original inspiration behind Parallax, Soderstrom said, "I was always interested in how people come to compare different stories and myths. The belt was the first piece I made, based on the mythological story."
Some of the pieces presented problems for Soderstrom. One particular piece, entitled 'The Divining Rod,' which looks like an ordinary piece of beach wood, proved to be one of Soderstrom's biggest challenges. "A lot of these pieces have been difficult to make," Soderstrom said. "Finding the wood was the hardest. I contacted someone in England and finally got information on the type of wood that was used in that age. I took many trips hiking through the coast searching for the wood. I tried really hard to contain the functionality of the piece and the story through the branches' design."
Reaction to Soderstrom's work so far has been positive. Nick Hemphill, a sophomore English and art major, liked the piece titled 'Pharmacopoeia.' "I really like this piece. I'm intrigued by the idea of the different medications and how openly they're used in our world," he said.
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