Flood

Mark Flood, born in Houston, Texas in 1957, is an American artist known for his critical engagement with society and the art market. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Rice University in 1981. Flood’s career began concurrently with his involvement in the underground 1980s band Culturcide, where he performed under the stage name Perry Webb. During his early career, he held various day jobs, including an office worker, elementary school teacher’s assistant, video clerk, and museum assistant, as noted by Randy Kennedy in The New York Times in 2012. His artistic practice expanded across various media, including painting, installation, artist’s books, and photo-collage.

Flood’s work is characterized by its irreverent and often critical approach. A notable series, his ‘Lace Paintings,’ involves a unique process of collecting and shredding lace, soaking it in paint, and then draping it over a painted canvas to leave a distinctive pattern. Other significant works include paintings featuring stenciled and spray-painted texts such as ‘Another Painting’ and ’25 More Paintings,’ which comment on the commodification of art. In 2012, Flood created a pop-up exhibition space in Miami called ‘Mark Flood Resents,’ designed to be a casual environment where art was not for sale, fostering conversations and exchanges about art.

His work has been exhibited at numerous institutions globally, including solo exhibitions at KARMA, New York; the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; Peres Projects, Berlin; and the Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis. Flood’s art is part of permanent collections at institutions such as the Dallas Museum of Art, The Menil Collection, and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. He has also engaged in collaborations, such as a 2021 project with the jewelry company Love for Both of Us, translating his artistic vision into a different medium.