Artist Registry

An accomplished photographer born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1953, Mark Blackshear credits his artistry in photography to the benevolence of renowned mentors and his constant search for the techniques and the sources that capture the essence of the image.

Blackshear's prolific work shows a leaning toward nature, and, in general, representational, painterly photography. But he also lends his talent to photographing formal occasions, such as receptions and celebrations of all kinds, in a way that exacts the same essence he strives for in nature.

Blackshear’s images are in private collections, and in corporate and educational institutions, and have appeared in numerous publications. His outstanding photographs appear in several books, such as Danny Simmons' Three Days as the Crow Flies and Wayne Enstice & Janis Stockhouse's Jazzwomen: Conversations with Twenty-one Musicians. He’s also had many images published in magazines and newspapers, such as The International Review of African American Art, Russell Simmons’ One World , NRG The Pulse of Brooklyn, ArtNews, Vibe, The New York Daily News, The New York Amsterdam News, Minority Businessnews USA, and The Our Time Press, among others .

In addition to this media exposure, Blackshear has had many exhibits and presentations of his works at such prestigious institutions as The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY;, The African American Museum in Philadelphia, PA; 40 Acres Art Gallery, Sacramento, CA; Chastain City Gallery in Atlanta, GA; Nordstrom Department stores (14 national locations;, The Leica Gallery, New York, NY; The Rotunda Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; and many others.

Blackshear’s artistic philosophy is founded on his ability to capture a fleeting moment, a solitary instant in eternity in which he feels almost transparent, like a camouflaged moth in the midst of a lush, green forest, defining for posterity an elusive moment in life.

"As a photographic artist, my creative pursuit is to escape categorization, characterization, and any kind of compartmentalization that attempts to explain or limit my photographic expression. I take pleasure in how observers of my work respond with delight to my visualizations. My quest is to pursue my life as a photographer unbridled, and always with a constant yearning to be better."