pet art
A chat with Mark Barone Creator, “An Act of Dog
An act of dog https://anactofdog.org embodies the message and outcry of awareness, artistic tribute and creative expression for the thousands of dogs needlessly, unceremoniously and horrifically killed in American shelters each day. Shelters by their very definition are there to “rescue” not destroy. But destroy they do and in astounding numbers. The Special Museum of Compassion for dogs was thus created and spearheaded by artist and animal advocate Mark Barone. Mark identified a serious issue within American Kill Shelters.. Both in the “number”of animals killed each day (an astounding 5500), to the heinous ways their deaths are carried out(gas chambers or bullets). Mark is painting 5500 individual portraits representing one days worth of killing in this country alone. Mark is bringing mass public attention to this situation through his art and his story which is coming out on PBS TV later this year. Stay tuned! This is Mark’s story for and about the forgotten dogs in American Shelters. Lick: Tell us a little bit about Mark Barone, your background and interests in general. Mark: I am originally from Chicago, and born into an Italian family. Growing up with a father who was an Architect for over
50 years, I thought I was going to be just like him and initially studied Architecture, but soon realized that it was too restrictive for my creative needs. I branched off into studying fine art and gravitated towards using oils, as I found them to be a more effective medium for deeper, emotional expression. Outside of painting, I am passionate about animals and I love music! In particular, I have a passion for Jazz. I have dabbled in playing the Saxophone and most recently, the Trumpet. LM: How did you connect into the “art scene?” Why “art?” as expression or work? MB: I’ve been a representational and narrative painter for over 35 years. I have never been interested in painting for profit or doing paintings to match people’s decor. Prior to doing the 5500 portraits of shelter dogs for our charity, An Act of Dog, I painted almost exclusively about the struggles of the human condition and created work that was a reflection of my own search for meaning. I would say that at my core; I am only interested in using art for social change and leading a purpose driven life. LM: What transpired in your life to connect you with the plight of animals and dogs in particular? MB: I had the good fortune of finding two abandoned street dogs; Rudy and Santina. They soon became the rudder, which helped to stabilize me as my early life turned to chaos. I was especially connected to Santina, as she was with me for almost 22 years, and helped me to navigate through my own struggles. She was always there for me in my darkest days. Her love filled me up in ways that I had never experienced from another person. Santina was ultimately the inspiration and catalyst for me wanting to help other shelter animals experience the love and life that they truly deserve. LM: How and when did “An Act of Dog” come about? What was the driving force to cause you to make a statement and to take action? MB: It was my life partner, Marina, who brought the plight of shelter animals to my attention. She had always been a cat lady, But after spending years with Santina and experiencing dog love, she was deeply moved and devastated when Santina died. Shortly after our loss of Santina, Marina went on-line to search for another dog to adopt, but instead of finding one, she discovered the chilling number of animals being destroyed in shelters, every year, and asked me to face this reality as well.
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