Mark Leach

Mark Leach (1961, Waco, United States) is an artist who mainly works with contemporary strategies. By experimenting with aleatoric processes, Leach formalizes the coincidental and emphasizes the conscious process of composition that is behind the seemingly random works. The thought processes, which are supposedly private, highly subjective and unfiltered in their references to dream worlds, are frequently revealed as assemblages that explore new ideas in language ideologies, crowdsourcing and aggregate authorship.

Leach creates situations in which everyday objects are altered or detached from their natural function. By applying specific combinations and certain manipulations, different functions and/or contexts are created. With the use of appropriated materials which are borrowed from a day-to-day context, he presents everyday objects as well as references to texts, painting and architecture. Pompous writings and Utopian constructivist designs are juxtaposed with trivial objects. Categories are subtly reversed.

His works feature coincidental, accidental and unexpected connections which make it possible to revise art history and, even better, to complement it. Combining unrelated aspects lead to surprising analogies.

These ideas are on display in a variety of works, including the 17-million-word "Marienbad My Love," the world's longest novel. His book "Cutting Up Two Burroughs" has garnered attention on the Poetry Foundation's Harriet news blog (http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2012/04/more-otherness-from-conceptual-literature/ ). Mark Leach currently lives and works in Texas.

Sources:

http://adamcallaway.blogspot.com/2010/01/interview-mark-leach-author-of.html

http://io9.com/5056339/the-longest-science-fiction-books-of-all-time

http://www.filminfocus.com/article/that_s_one_long_book__my_love

http://io9.com/5023076/thrill+crazed-space-bugs-swarm-through-worlds-longest-novel

http://marienbadmylove.com

http://500letters.org/form_15.php

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http://marienbadmylove.livejournal.com/

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