Born in Los Angeles, California, Mark Steven Greenfield studied under Charles White and John Riddle at Otis Art Institute. He followed these studies by receiving his Bachelor's degree in Art Education from California State University, Long Beach; and Master's of Fine Arts in drawing & painting from California State University, Los Angeles.

His work has progressed from traditional drawings and paintings to prints and collages. Since the year 2000 his work has been exploring the effects of blackface minstrelsy on the American psyche. Most recently he has begun using lenticular technology to dramatize the dual nature of the genre of blackface. Lenticulars as they are called, weave two different images together and cover them with a lens which only allows the viewer to see one image at a time.

Since 1977, Mark Steven Greenfield has been invited to exhibit throughout the United States and abroad. Selected galleries and museums include Steve Turner Gallery, CA; Reginald Ingraham Gallery, CA; Luckman Fine Arts Gallery, CA ; L.A. Artcore Gallery, CA, University of Virginia Museum, International Center for Photography, New York, NY; Korean American Museum, CA; Woo Yeon Gallery, Dae Jon, South Korea; Museum of African American Art, CA; Santa Monica Museum of Art, CA; National Arts Club, New York, NY; Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY.

The son of a Tuskegee Airman, Greenfield spent his early years on military bases from Taiwan to Germany. "He was greatly influenced by the art and history that he came in contact with and as the years passed sought methods of communicating ideas through the visual arts."

Mark Steven Greenfield writes, "Generations of African Americans have suffered grievous injury at the hands of people whose livelihood was derived from creating and reinforcing stereotypes; and the psychological slavery that ensued following emancipation. My hope is that my artwork might offer a glimpse into the origins of contemporary thinking with regard to race, color and gender, while at the same time exorcising the enduring specter that dwells in the American psyche."

The work of Mark Steven Greenfield is found in prestigious art collections throughout the United States. California private collectors include Steve Tisch, Dr. Joy Simmons, Richard Pryor, LaMonte & Martina Westmoreland, D.L Hughley, Cecil Fergerson, Dr. Andre Tweed; Dr. Vaughn Payne. Nationally – Mott-Warsh, MI; Arnold Tenenbaum, SC. Museum collections include: San Diego Museum of Art, CA; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, CA; Baltimore Museum of Art, MD.

Articles and reviews on Greenfield's work have been included in the Los Angeles Times (Leah Ollman), Art Scene (Bill Lazarow/Jeanne Willette), The Press-Enterprise (Devorah L. Knaff), Artweek (Berin Golonu); Santa Fe New Mexican (Teri Thomson Randall); LA Weekly (Peter Frank). Peter Frank writes, " Greenfield has taken Fred Wilson's and Kara Walker's re-appropriations a stepin-fetchit further: He's striven not simply to enervate the caricaturizations by isolating them and playing them out, but to become arbiter of their devolution."

While continuing to have an active life as a visual artist Mark directed the internationally known Watts Towers of Simon Rodia; and is on the faculty at LA City College. Presently, he is the Director of the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery for the Department of Cultural Affairs. Mark has also served on boards such as the Downtown Arts Development Association and Korean American Museum.