Mark Jenkins (b. 1970) is a sculptor and installation artist whose work focuses on a variety of urban and social themes, re-defining the limits of sculpture both in the public sphere, where many of his pieces have been found, to the more intimate realm of the contemporary gallery setting. The foundation of his artwork is in the artist’s specific technique, casting objects as well as his own body (and those of others) using conventional packing tape and plastic wrap. Encompassing the actual form of these subjects with his method, he has materialized a range of characters, from translucent ducks, dogs, and babies, to his most well-known clothed hyper-realistic figures.

Whether placed in the street or in the gallery, his sculptures alter perceptions of the ordinary and create surreal settings that infallibly elicit an alternative experience. The placement of his artwork always creates a new form of discourse central to space and the audience. For the pieces he situates in the urban environment, the artist intentionally leaves the sculptures unattended to fulfill their life cycles to whatever end, may it be natural deterioration or confiscation. The viewer’s reaction to his pieces becomes part of the sculptures, turning the street into a stage. The theatricality of Mark Jenkins’s work remains a central theme, wherein he uses the gallery space as a performance platform, incorporating the viewers not only as spectators but as actors themselves.

For the past few years, Jenkins has brought his pieces around the world for a variety of projects and public art events. In 2017, he collaborated with fashion house Balenciaga, displaying his sculptures as part of the opening of a newly designed New York boutique. In 2018, the artist presented a powerful art installation entitled “Project84” where he placed 84 of his figures on top of the ITV buildings at Southbank in London. The installation aimed to bring awareness to the prevalence of male suicide in the United Kingdom. In 2019, he participated in the Rose Béton biennale/art festival held in Toulouse France, where he installed a number of sculptures in the public space, including upon a fountain and hanging on a swing from the Pont Saint Pierre bridge. Most recently, Jenkins placed five of his hooded figures in front of the Laguna Beach City Hall in California. Referred to as “The Caretakers”, the pieces were commissioned by the city, each sculpture occupied with an absurd activity, such as one who appears to be vacuuming the lawn.

Mark Jenkins crosses boundaries with his life-size figures, redefining the limits of what “immersion” can be. With pieces that elicit strong reactions from any audience, the artist chooses to have the pieces speak for themselves. Whether he’s placed them in a public space or in the gallery, the sculptures represent an exploration into human connection – a mirror held up to our understanding of the world. He currently lives and works outside Washington D.C.