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Michael was born and raised in Calgary, Canada, and attended the Alberta College of Art and Design, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree with Honors in 1999 (Drawing Major). He was also a student at the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City, the Royal College of Art in London, England and most recently the prestigious Art Center in Pasadena where in 2002 he received a Master of Fine Art degree. Michael has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including a coveted Canada Council for the Arts grant in February 2006. Michael Markowsky lives in Los Angeles, and teaches at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, California. |
Michael, Age 6 drawing at the family kitchen table. Calgary, Alberta, Canada (1983) |
CHRONOLOGY
1977 |
Michael David Markowsky is born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is named after Michelangelo's "David". |
1984 |
Begins to write and illustrate his own books. "The Haunted Pumpkin" series is among the first. Spends summers on his Grandfather's farm in Saskatchewan (with whom he also visits the horse track). |
1985 |
Entire family nearly killed in giant car accident on Crowchild Trail, Calgary, Alberta. The 1981 Toyota Cresida station wagon sedan is obliterated when it is sideswiped by absent minded driver. Despite not wearing his seatbelt, Michael walks away with minor cuts and bruises. Family immediately goes out for Chinese food. |
1987 |
Wins grand prize with sister Lorie on popular Canadian children's game show "Kidstreet". The show involves siblings testing knowledge of one another, as well as solving rebus puzzles. Car racing is the central theme; the contestants sit in miniature formula one cars. |
1988 |
Looses control on a motorcross racing bike and drives through a barbwire fence. Miraculously survives with only minor cuts, despite not wearing a helmet. |
1989 |
Student Exchange with family from Quebec, Canada. Spends a month walking around Rimouski throwing rocks at street signs and hanging out in pool halls with a french kid. |
1990 |
Retires from ski racing. |
1992 |
Lives on a sailboat, travels around Vancouver Island. Collaborates with Jesse Powell to create "Sliver: A Thorn in the Foot of Crime", a self-published comic. |
1994 |
Becomes Editor of the Yearbook for his High School graduating class. Forms the seminal punk band "The Mess" with Jesse Powell. Nearly mauled by grizzly bear while hiking in the Rocky Mountains. |
1995 |
Lives in Montpellier, France. Graduates from High School. Briefly engages his interests in creative writing and journalism. Accepted into Ryerson University in Ottawa, and McGill in Montreal. Parents encourage him to pursue art, and begins schooling at the Alberta College of Art and Design, in Calgary, Alberta. |
1996 |
On the way to his first day of classes after Christmas break, Michael flips his parent's 1994 Jeep YJ several times and crashes into the side of bridge. Walks away uninjured. Chooses to Major in Drawing. |
1997 |
Begins to experiment with logos, signs and pop-art imagery. Has memorable critique with professor Richard Halliday. Collaborates on hundreds of paintings with Tom Magee. Fractures right wrist while bicycling late at night - crashes into a tree while avoiding a cat. Becomes a member of students council at ACAD. |
1998 |
Begin the year as a student at Cooper Union in New York City. Spends a month traveling up and down east coast on Greyhound buses. Copper Union professor David True strongly encourages Markowsky to pursue graduate studies in Los Angeles. Begins to make large acrylic paintings based on comic book imagery. |
1999 |
Graduates from the Alberta College of Art, with Honors. Travels around Europe with David Menagh. Begins graduate fine art studies at Art Center, in Pasadena, California. |
2000 |
Attends the Royal College of Art in London, while staying with the head of the Painting Department at the Royal Academy of Art. Visits the National Gallery of Art in London 72 times over a period five months. |
2001 |
Returns from England, and continues education at Art Center. Under the supervision of legendary musician/producer Mayo Thompson, The Mess records an EP, but it is never released. Driving Drawings are first exhibited in a group show with William S. Burroughs (Beyond Baroque, in Venice, California). In September, while driving on the 110 freeway south, Michael's 1984 Volvo explodes into flames. |
2002 |
Teacher's Assistant to Mike Kelley. Mounts successful Graduate Thesis exhibition at Art Center. Exhibits After the New Color radio-play and drawings. Recieves his Master's Degree from Stephen Prina in December. |
2003 |
Forms MOLDYWOOD carpentry and casting business with Kristian Burford. Builds frames and crates for various artists and galleries around Los Angeles. Begin teaching at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena. Writes and directs his first film, Blind to the Sun. The movie premiers on Halloween, at Beyond Baroque. In December, the film premiers in Canada at the Banff Center for the Arts. |
2004 |
Production begins on his second film, Out of Cloud. Completes work on The Chinatown Driving Drawing Project. Old studio is converted into a Maserati automobile dealership |
2005 |
Exhibits Chinatown Driving Drawing Project alongside work by Ed Ruscha, Jorge Pardo, etc. in an exhibition at University of California Riverside called "The Lateral Slip". Several months later he narrowly escapes death in a violent car accident on the Hollywood Freeway. Miraculously, despite the fact that the driver's side of the 2004 Volkswagon Jetta was completely demolished, he walks away with only a shattered left wrist. Two days after the accident, he drives north to San Franscisco to install his Chinatown Driving Drawing Project , in the San Francisco Bayennale. In the fall, exhibits the O.J. Simpson Driving Drawing Project in a group show entitled Drive Time, at the Wignall Museum. |
2006 |
Begins to paint exclusively in oil paint. Exhibits the Arroyo Seco Parkway Driving Drawing Project at the Armory Northwest, Pasadena. Awarded Canada Council Grant. Joshua Tree project displayed in an exhibition at the MAK Center in Los Angeles. Publishes first book Driving Drawings and Paintings. Has first major solo exhibition, in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta, at Axis Contemporary Art. |
2007 |
Begins The Death of James Dean Project, involving a series of large oil paintings, and small bronze sculptures based on the route taken by young actor James Dean the day of his death in a violent auto accident. Michael breaks both his elbows in a bicycle accident. The Death of James Dean I, is exhibited at the Armory Center for the Arts as part of "Art Night" and "Off the Wall." Exhibits Driving Paintings and Sculptures at Axis Contemporary Art in Calgary, Alberta. |