Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Larsen.
Mary, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I grew up in New York City with art loving parents, we visited the Met and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) so often that my sisters and I were on intimate terms with the paintings and we all had our favorites. Since my dad is an architect, he taught us how to draw at an early age and encouraged our creativity. I attended an art magnet high school then studied printmaking and filmmaking at Hampshire College. I moved to San Francisco in my early 20’s, started painting and haven’t stopped since! After 5 years in San Francisco I moved back to New York City and got involved in the vibrant downtown art scene that was happening during the 80’s.
My education continued through extensive travels throughout Europe, India, Nepal and China, filling sketchbooks and immersing myself in the art and culture of the places I stayed. After returning to New York I fell in love and moved to Puerto Rico to start a family. My babies grew up in my studio, making art alongside me. After a few years there, we moved to Miami where I’ve been ever since. I’ve exhibited my work in each city I lived in as well as a having a solo show in Kyoto. My work is in corporate and individual collections in New York, Miami, Kyoto, San Francisco and San Juan.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I work in mixed media and altered books. Kant’s interpretation of the sublime as “revealing a reality that is fundamentally indeterminate, undecidable and unpresentable” is at the core of my work. The power of nature, geometry and chance coalesce to form an unsettling place that glimpses the possibility of transcendence. Through a meditative process of layering paint, ink, found images, maps, book pages and silkscreen, I create ‘dream-scapes’ which disrupt the stable coordinates of time and place resulting in an alternate world that is at once disorienting yet somehow at peace. Disparate elements work together to create an ephemeral atmosphere of fragmentation and beauty, filled with contrasts and contradictions.
Often, I find balance and harmony through imbalance and dissonance. By both obscuring and revealing; rubbing out and making marks, erasing one history and replacing it with another, a new narrative emerges only to disappear. Random elements are transformed into purpose. The process is a transformative experience that informs the work, with each layer adding richness and depth, creating intimacy. The idea is slowly revealed, mirroring the layers of the subconscious thought process. It is the struggle for connection in a world where we have become more alienated despite the multiple ways in which we have to stay connected. Life is unraveling. We look for connections to hold it together.
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
Great question! I’ve been pondering that for quite some time now, especially in the past few years. There are days when I wonder what the point of is making art anymore when there are so many disturbing trends and events going on in the world. But I keep making art because it keeps me grounded and at peace. I couldn’t not make art.
I’m not sure if the role of the artist has changed, but the role of a human being has. I believe that the way to change the world is to change from within. Be the change that you want to see is more than just a clever quote. I try to live my life in a conscience, compassionate way; with empathy and kindness to keep out the hate and fear. I’d be disingenuous if I were to suddenly start making political art, although I know there’s a place for it. I’m not idealistic enough to think that art can save the world, however I do believe in the importance of art for a sane world. I teach visual arts at the Miami Arts Charter School and the alarming frequency of school shootings has brought events closer to home and made my role even more urgent. Teaching art and mentoring the next generation is the most important role I have as an artist and continuing to make art is vital to me as a person. Making art makes me a better educator. The students I teach are our future and our hope for a better world.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
A good place to start is by visiting my website: www.marylarsen.com where you can see my paintings, books and small works on recycled computer floppy discs. I also post my work and the process on Instagram: @mplarsen. I welcome visitors to my studio in Biscayne Park by appointment. If you email me at [email protected], I’ll add you to my email list for upcoming exhibitions and you can make an appointment for a studio visit. Support artists by buying their work! Anyone can be a collector. Art adds richness to your life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marylarsen.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @mplarsen
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mary.larsen.980
Image Credit:
All photos were taken by me except for the one with me in it which was taken by Jim Hankins.
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