Mark Stock was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1951. The son of an Army officer, Stock lived in many states across America before settling in St. Petersburg, Florida. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa where he studied under Theo Wujcik. Upon graduating in 1976, Stock was hired to work at Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles as a lithographer. While there, he printed for notable artists such as Jasper Johns, David Hockney, Robert Rauschenberg, and Roy Lichtenstein before leaving to paint full-time. Mark’s final resting place is at the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, California. His tombstone depicts an image that he drew in 1977 of a tombstone in a wagon. The backstory of this image is explained by Mark in this video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eSYOAPmiBus
Ballet and Modern Dance
In 1977, Stock began studying ballet and modern dance. His work expanded to include designing sets for various Los Angeles-based dance companies. He started to paint the figure in 1983 and has become widely known for his narrative paintings.
Paintings
From the 2000 book, Mark Stock: Paintings, by Barnaby Conrad III: "Mark Stock's paintings connect viewers to the euphoria, loneliness and sometimes fatal entanglements of romance. Often melodramatic and tinged with irony, Stock's images illustrate love's power to provoke our best - and most illicit - behavior. A well-dressed voyeur peeks through a mansion window, silent and intent on the object of his desire. Picknicking lovers lock into each other's eyes. An attractive woman smokes a cigarette as she sits next to a man's corpse, which has been rolled neatly in a carpet, ready for disposal. A butler steals a moment to treasure lipstick left on a glass by the woman who employs him. Stock's paintings tell each character's story with remarkable clarity and, in many cases, with humor. A master of the realist narrative style, Stock uses color, shadow and line to amazing effect. Details in facial inflection, body language, and background tell you there's more going on here than rapture, scandal, and dangerous liaisons. These paintings keep you coming back for another look, for clues to life's emotionally charged moments." '' Stock's works can be found in the permanent collections of Brooklyn Museum, Museum of Modern Art, The Library of Congress and The National Gallery of Art.
Musician
Besides painting, Mark Stock was a jazz drummer whose trio performed regularly. He was also an accomplished magician and a champion golfer. He resided in Oakland, California.
Magician
An avid amateur magician, Stock was known for performing his floating dollar bill trick.
