Mark Cosimini grew up in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood on St. Paul’s East Side.

Mark attended the University of Minnesota from 1970 to 1974, where he double majored in Studio Arts (with an emphasis on drawing and painting) and Political Science. He attended William Mitchell College of Law and received a Juris Doctor degree in 1978. While in law school Mark was a cartoonist for the school paper. He also published humorous illustrations for Landlord/Tenant and Senior Issues legal booklets and cartoons for a Civil Discovery Manual. As an attorney Mark worked as a VISTA volunteer from 1979 to 1980, and the majority of his legal career was as an assistant Hennepin County Public Defender.

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In 2011, Mark decided to return to his love of painting, working in oil and acrylics. He began painting still lifes, landscapes, and pet portraits.

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In 2012 Mark has started creating a body of work titled “Altar Pieces.” These are semi abstract studies of portions of the interiors of churches. Mark says “These sacred spaces are filled with curves and angles and with the addition of color creates exciting movement and depth in paintings. The interiors inspire the artist in all of us to see the world in beautiful shapes and colors. We enter these spaces looking for meaning. It only seems appropriate to find pictorial meaning in the interpretation of their interiors.”

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In 2016 he began the "Social Landscapes series. These paintings focus on the less fortunate in society. Landscape painting may generally be defined as the depiction of natural scenery in art. Prior to the 17th century the landscape consisted of the scenery in the background of religious, mythological and historical paintings. In subsequent centuries the landscape became the subject. By the 19th century landscapes were part of the romantic movement in art. The landscape was seen as a manifestation of God's work and the forces of nature. In the 20th century landscapes grew to include urban and industrial scenes. Mark says “I like to humbly think my "Social Landscapes" combine the visions of the 19th and 20th century landscape”.

 

In 2020 he began working on a series called "Mississippi River Road". These paintings study the colors and shapes of the trees along the river road. The paintings examine the way light shines through the intertwined tree branches reflecting the colors of spring, summer and fall. The effect almost looks like stained glass.

 

This lead to the "Worshiping Nature" series These paintngs combine the elements of the "Altar Piece" series with the trees of the "Mississippi River Road" series. Behind the trees are painted shapes and colors associated with stained glass windows and church interiors.

 

2023 brought about the "Life, Death and..." series. These paintings reflect apon human mortality and the immortality of art. Works of such immortal artists as Caravaggio, Giorgione and Delacroix are depicted with various symbols reflecting our mortal existence. Such symbols include a glass, be it empty or full, food, spoiled or fresh and of course, the human skull.

 

Still in developement is a series titled "Have and Have Nots". Through the use of symbols and everyday trappings this series will examine inequality and the contrast between those that have and have not.

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