Mark Doolittle

The trajectory to my art has been through a pathway of science. During an era of tremendous advancement in cell and molecular biology occurring in the 1970s and 80s, I gained a doctoral degree in these fields from the University of California at Los Angeles. At this institution, I pursued a career in biomedical research while developing a keen interest in woodworking and art. I began to seriously produce wood artwork in 2002, and have recently transitioned into a full-time wood artist.

My style and approach are my own, greatly influenced by my biological background. In my artwork, I try to express the form and line of growth and symmetry encountered microscopically in cells and tissues, and macroscopically in living organisms throughout the natural world. Without attempting to accurately portray biological structures, I rather use organic shapes and abstract forms, like holes and fissures, to elicit the perception of biological growth in my artwork. Moreover, I often incorporate actual biological specimens, such as fossils and butterflies, as central features in my sculptures, playing off their form and symmetry. Wood seems a natural choice of medium for these sculptures, as it is derived from the processes of biological growth that my work tries so hard to capture.