Mark Sfirri began using the lathe while a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he received his bachelor of arts degree in 1974 and his master of fine arts degree in 1978. As early as 1976 he began making furniture and other objects, utilizing multiaxis turnings. Considered an innovator in the wood turning field, Sfirri currently teaches at Bucks County Community College and creates furniture and other objects from his woodworking shop in New Hope. Sfirri’s 2006 Rejects from the Bat Factory—Exotics wall sculpture showcases his creative approach to wood turning, as well as his masterful use of the multiaxis turning technique. In utilizing the technique of “off-center turning,” which makes individual bats appear crooked, spiraling, gouged, and eccentrically shaped, Sfirri has acknowledged that his intention is not only to humorously exploit the diverse possibilities offered by the off-center turning technique but also to make a statement about “our culture and how we sometimes prize the mistakes more than the good ones.”