Short Bio: Devin Mack is a wire sculptor who has been working in and around Baltimore for more than ten years. He currently works from a studio in Remington and shows his sculptures everywhere from street festivals to museum gift shops and traditional galleries. He also monitors the Wednesday night figure drawing sessions at the Towson ARTS Collective and has recently curated “Drawing Today,” the current group show at the collective.
Name: Devin Mack
Age: 34
Occupation: Wire sculptor with a day job in a neuroscience laboratory Baltimore
Neighborhood: Remington
Obsessive Collections: At the moment I love collecting trashed computers, laboratory equipment, and electronics. I love saving useful things from the hands of the recyclers. While I don’t necessarily go out looking for junk, it seems to find me, and I usually don’t hesitate to stop the truck on the side of the road or otherwise intervene when someone is throwing out something awesome.
Currently Reading: Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer. It takes a fascinating look at the strange world of memory athletes. For anyone who believes that they were blessed with a poor memory and have no recourse.
Coolest Place You’ve Ever Lived: Baltimore is home, and I love it despite all its obvious problems. However, Ithaca, New York, is probably the coolest place I’ve ever lived, unless you count a month and a half spent “living” in a hammock, on a beach, in South America.
Hobbies or Leisure Activities: Backpacking in the mountains and swimming with my son Oliver.
Favorite Food to Eat at Home: My wife, Kate, makes a dish from her slowcooker called Angel Chicken. It’s mouthwatering.
Favorite Food to Eat Out: The tuna sliders at The Dizz are excellent. More on that place later. Favorite Beverage of Choice: I enjoy Bourbon. Political Leanings: So far to the left that I can see the other side of right. However, so long as they’re not belligerent, I’ll listen to anyone.
Favorite Baltimore spot to hang out: They used to call it Dizzy Issie’s, then there was trouble, and now it’s just The Dizz. It’s been my neighborhood pub for more than ten years and I love it. “Baltimore in a bar,” as they like to say. Some of my first wire sculptures were made sitting at that bar. I would take requests in return for drinks, and some of those sculptures are still hanging out on the bar’s shelves. I even met my wife sitting on those same stools. To those who know it well The Dizz is far more than just a bar or restaurant.
Pets: None at the moment, but I’m in charge of the field mice who like to visit in the wintertime.
Favorite Person in the World: My son Oliver is a very cool kid.
Movie that Sums Up the Current State of Your Life: Some days feel like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and others are more like Stardust.
Favorite Place to Travel: Tayrona National Park on the northern coast of Colombia. It’s a great place to learn that you don’t/can’t really “know” anything. Don’t forget a good flashlight.
Mantra or Favorite Quote: Question them.
