Marlaine Cox - Metal Artst

Marlaine Cox

Scope.   

Metal, spring steel, magnifying glass, 

Look(again) residency:  Low tech/high joy collaborative, 2013

Name:  Marlaine Cox

City/State:  Minneapolis, MN

Email: marlainecox@gmail.com 

Website: marlaineblog.wordpress.com   

MNartist.org profile: http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=186466 

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marlaine-Cox-Metalworks/192381700785215

https://www.facebook.com/lowtech.highjoy 

Etsy Page: Scrap Yard Siren 

Bio-

Marlaine Cox is a Miami born metal artist who transplanted to Minneapolis in 1990 because her car broke down while driving through.  After settling in to the eternal winter she began constructing found object assemblages, finding inspiration in the broken tools, farm implements and detritus around her. She never managed to fix the car but continued her life anyway.

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

My work is mostly about transforming salvaged bits and metal scrap into functional objects.  I like the challenge of turning a broken tool into a new and unexpected use while trying not to manipulate the objects too much, letting beauty of the original forms show.  My goal is to fit as few parts together as elegantly as possible.  If the objects become humorous or absurd by my subtle manipulations then even better.

Right now I’m working with artist, Karen Kasel, as part of a creative placemaking team called low tech/high joycollaborative.   We are in the middle of a six month artist residency called Look(again) at TuckUnder Projects .  We created scoping devices from salvaged metal, inviting visitors to peer into the yard, finding unexpected oddities and small surprises.

Karen and I have collaborated in the past(The Shanty of Misfit Toys) http://www.artshantyprojects.org/  so formalizing this partnership is very exciting. We explore details in the environment that are often overlooked.

I’m also working on a series of wall sculptures for an upcoming exhibit at Gallery 360, opening on August 24, 2013.  My compulsion is to inject a ‘function’ into everything I create so these purely decorative sculptures are a departure for me.  To combat this, the pieces will have some kinetic component in them, a pulley or a hook, so they still ‘function’ just a little.

How did you decide to become an artist?

When I was a kid I was preoccupied with manipulating my environment. I built hidden book shelves and cubbies in the bottom bunk & I transformed our patio into a ramshackle greenhouse, building shelves into the screen walls and filling it with plants from the yard.  I carpeted my high school locker.  Since I was a bookworm I just thought I would be a writer or teacher or work in publishing.  It wasn’t until I moved to Minnesota when I was 23, disgruntled that college sucked all the fun out of reading and writing, that I realized how much I loved working with my hands.  I loved the immediacy of it, and getting out of my head.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

Try to create something beautiful every day, no matter how small or ephemeral.  The artistic process doesn’t need to be filled with angst and suffering, it can sometimes be simple creative activities that have nothing to do with theory or art history or big ideas.

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?

I sell my line of post-industrial accessories at Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/scrapyardsiren 

and in local shops: http://www.ilikeyouonline.com/ 

http://www.gallery360mpls.com/ 

http://www.gallery360mpls.com/ 

I accept commissions: http://marlainecoxmetalworks.com/

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

David Sollie  http://www.bockleygallery.com/artist_sollie/index.html 

Karen Kasel  http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=2485

Julie Buffalohead https://www.facebook.com/pages/Julie-Buffalohead-Artist/191704760864481 

Faye Passow http://fayepassow.com/ 

Peter Haakon Thompson  http://www.peterhaakonthompson.com/ 

Jan Elftmann http://www.corktruck.com/ 

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

Franconia Sculpture Park http://www.franconia.org/ 

Chicago Ave. Fire Arts Center http://www.cafac.org/ 

Art Shanty Projects http://www.artshantyprojects.org/ 

The Ledge Gallery  http://www.theledgempls.com/ 

Walker Art Center  http://www.walkerart.org/ 

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise? 

MN Artists http://www.mnartists.org/ 

L’etoile http://www.letoilemagazine.com/ 

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

August 1, 2013: Low tech/high joy collaborative continues the Look(again) residency at TuckUnder Projects

 

August 2, 2013: AlteredEsthetics-Time Honored Exhibition-I’ll be showing three pieces from my post-industrial accessory collection

August 24, 2013:  Gallery 360- Wall Sculpture Series

Tuck Under Gallery

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Kristen Arden - Sculptor

Bindings Series #1

Kristen Arden

Name:  Kristen Arden  

City/State:  Minneapolis, MN

Email:  kristen@kristenardenstudio.com

Website:  www.kristenardenstudio.com

MNartist.org profile: Arden, Kristen

Facebook page:  Kristen Arden

Twitter: @kardenstudio

Bio~ 

I graduated with a BA in Painting and Drawing and spent my 20’s working in various art-related jobs, including completing a Master’s Degree in Art History with the thought I could teach and do art on the side.  When it became clear I had to choose between Art History and Art I returned to art-making after I moved out to San Francisco. I fell in love with building, sculpture, and working with metal (both casting and fabricating) while taking classes at CCAC and working.  In mid-2003 I moved to Minneapolis from San Francisco and started working out of my Northrup King Building studio.  I currently work full-time doing custom commercial and residential work and have work in corporate and private collections including with Loram, the Westin, and United Health Group.

Bindings Series #2

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

I work in series.  I come up with an idea or premise, start to work it over in my head and then work it out through sculptures, both wall and free-standing pieces.  I rework it as many times as I feel the idea or series can remain fresh.

I’ve recently begun working on some new series, and am continuing work on others. The most recent series I’ve been working on are my Architectonic Series that are installations based on architectural styles, and what I’m calling my Botanic Series, first inspired while thinking about Carl Linnaeus’ drawings and approach to the ‘natural world’.  I’ve also started thinking about symbolism, but am still working some of that out.  In both these series I’m abstracting, enlarging, and then reassembling snapshots of either a design or plant as an installation.  Both new series have a relationship to my past work, but are more sculptural in nature than my Earthworks Series, in particular.

Nothing in Progression Lies on its Original Path

How did you decide to become an artist?

I grew up drawing and spent hours looking through my Dad’s collection of art books.  I found them endlessly fascinating and still remember those books vividly.  It was pretty exciting and eye-opening to me as a kid, looking at all those paintings and thinking about the artists that created them. I think I’ve always felt compelled by art, and always wanted to create, draw, build, whatever.  I was also endlessly fascinated by my Dad’s shop and would watch him work in it.  It wasn’t til after college that I realized you could put the two together.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

Probably the best piece of advice I’ve gotten was from a teacher who remarked how important taking time out while you’re working on a piece to think about what you’re doing and why is just as, if not more, important than how determined and tenacious you are in your work.  It may seem obvious but it really resonated with me.

Natural History Museum Project: Map and Boat

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?

I found having a good website was critical for getting my work out there and found by people (www.kristenardenstudio.com).  I think it’s also important to do a lot of day-to-day things that may not seem significant but at the end of a year add up to a lot of proverbial ground covered.

Botanic Series #1

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

Maren Kloppmann  www.marenkloppmann.com

Eleanor McGough  www.mnartists.org/Eleanor_McGough

Jennifer Davis  www.jenniferdavisart.com

Danny Saathoff  www.dannysaathoff.com

Shannyn Joy Potter  www.shannynjoypotter.com

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

When I get the chance I love going to any of the bigger museums – the MIA (www.artsmia.org), the Walker (www.walkerart.org), and the Weisman (www.weisman.umn.edu).  The sculpture park at the Walker is always fun, as is Franconia Sculpture Park (www.franconia.org).  And of course some local galleries too when I get the opportunity to go to an opening, like Gallery 360 (www.gallery360mpls.com).

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise? 

I actually see a lot of interesting art and artists pop up through Facebook and perusing online papers like the Huffington Post. 

Architectonic Series #1

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I have some new work up at Gallery 360 for a show featuring another artist, Natasha D’Schommer (www.natashadschommer.com), that opened in March.   I recently installed a larger-scale window installation at a business storefront in mid-March, and am working on some new pieces that I’ll show during Art A Whirl (May 17-19, 2013)  in the Northrup King Building and then move to a gallery. In addition I have some commission work I’m working on, and continue thinking about where I want to go with my work next.

Kristen Arden

Barbara Gilhooly - Painter - Minnesota-ExPat

Barbara Gilhooly

MN to Fort Collins, CO

Barbara Gilhooly

Location: Fort Collins, CO

www.barbaragilhooly.com

Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/gilhoolymightyfineart

Why did you leave Minnesota?

I moved for a change and for love. It’s an advantage to be self employed, I can work anywhere.  I knew the area from when I went to Grad school here for my MFA degree.

Tell me about your new city of residence?

Fort Collins, CO is a college town, set up against the foothills and has beautiful weather, sunshine 300 plus days a year. And very low humidity!  It’s an hour and a half north of Denver.

How has your art changed since moving from Minnesota?

I have been more productive in some respects due to my show schedule.  Since arriving in August of 2010, I have had 2 solo exhibits each year and several group shows. I also am buying pre-made birch panels instead of building my own from scrounging for wood or using heavy plywood.  Due to the need to ship more work back and forth to Minneapolis, I need to have panels that weigh less. This has been a great boost in time saved, as well.  

A friend of mine used to joke that I should sell my work by the pound!  The heavy panels are phased out.  My Imagery has evolved and I am working on a series of cityscapes and bridges.  After living in downtown St. Paul for 21 years surrounded by the patterns and bridges of the city I am finding inspiration and exploring these memories in my work.

If you come back to Minnesota for one weekend and you need to see your old favorite places, where would you go to see art?

Mostly Circa Gallery and Gallery 360, because I am represented at both and love to see what their other artists are doing.  MCAD, the MIA and the Walker are all frequent spots.

Who are some of your favorite artists still living in Minnesota?

Michon Weeks 

Mary Bergs 

Mary Bergherr 

Teresa Cox 

Anne Sugnet 

Mark Knierim

If you could transplant one aspect of the Minnesota arts community home with you, what would it be?

The Art Crawls. Living in the Lowertown area for 20 plus years allowed me to grow my career and stay in touch with collectors and friends.  Ft Collins has a Studio Tour in June and my partner and I are hosting our Annual “Hanna-Hooly Holiday Open House” in December. It’s smaller, but I’m hopeful for growth over the years. 

However, I also see that because of the art crawls the galleries in the Twin Cities have decreased.  I was fortunate to participate in both the crawls and still am in the galleries of Minneapolis.  In comparison, I was surprised at how much the Denver gallery scene has grown since I had been here in Grad school.  They do not have the wonderful artist loft/living studio spaces like in MN and therefore the artwalks are run through the gallery districts.

What has been going on for you recently?

In May 2012, I had my 2^nd solo exhibit in Denver, CO. at 44T Artspace and will be up through June.  http://metroframeworks.squarespace.com/

Then in Minneapolis, I have a solo show at Gallery 360, opening Nov 10, 2012. www.gallery360mpls.com/

Danny Saathoff - Mixed Media

Mechanical Migration Danny Saathoff Edina, MN dannysaathoff@yahoo.com dannysaathoff.com MNartist.org profile: http://mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=125594 Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Danny-Saathoff-Visual-Artist-and-Jewelry-Designer/157140090987660 Bio~  I grew up around Minneapolis. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a Fine Arts Degree. After college, I moved to Colorado where I dropped out of the art making scene and really just lived to play (ski, backpack, whitewater kayak) for about eight years. I started a graphic design and sign shop to make enough money to keep up with my adventures. I ended up learning to sail on a resevoir at about 9000 feet up in the mountains, which was downhill from my house at 11,000 feet! I got so hooked on sailing that I decided to make a major life change and move back to the midwest where the is much more water. Since then, we've moved up to a good sized sailboat on Lake Superior where my wife, two boys and a dog spend most of our summer.  Start to Finish Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects? Currently, I'm working on a large scale exterior sculpture that will be installed on a wall outside patient rooms at a local hospital. The wall is within 20 feet of the windows for these rooms and the current "view" is not very conducive for healing. I've been commissioned to build a piece that would provide an interesting visual experience/distraction that would also help promote a healing environment. This is by far, the largest piece I've ever constructed. There are just very few opportunities to build something 30 feet long and up to 12 feet tall. My gallery work has been an evolution out of my work as a jewelry designer. My jewelry is bold and incorporates found objects but I can only go so big before the jewelry becomes unwearable. That's the point where jewelry becomes sculpture, although I don't really buy into the whole art vs. craft debate. Jewelry is traditionally viewed as a "craft" along with pottery, glass, woodworking etc. I think the lines between art and craft have been blurred so much that it's not really worth debating the topic.  Cityscape Bracelet "What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make? My inspiration is all over the map. Sometimes politics creeps into my work, quite often nature is my inspiration and modes of transportation and the process of getting from point A to B often get my attention. I rarely look to make a statement through my work. More than anything, I like the work to lead the viewer to question what the work is about. It's like giving someone the first sentence of a short story and having them finish it. I enjoy putting things together and very often find meaning in the work long after a piece is complete. Sometimes random objects just want to be near each other in a piece and finding ways to make them work together is what I do. Sometimes the meaning is the inspiration but often the meaning comes after the piece is done. I've even found the meaning to evolve as time passes and I've had time to live with a piece. I love to hear what other people interpret my work to be about and sometimes, their interpretations are far better than my original concept. As for a statement? That comes far later in my career with retrospection. What was the best advice given to you as an artist? After an eight year hiatus from making art or jewelry, "You should really start making jewelry again", courtesy of my wife, Kari Halker-Saathoff. Watering Sand Tell me about your work space and your creative process. My work space right now is in limbo, not a good thing when I have a large commission in the works. Formerly, my studio was at my home in Robbinsdale. We bought that house for the 3 car, oversized garage that became the studio. My wife is also an artist as well as a high school art teacher so we shared that space. We just moved into a home in Edina with space to build our dream studio, but for now I'll be jammed into a single car garage stall and a basement studio space. I often think I should have a studio in NE Minneapolis to be among peers and build relationships with other artists, but I really enjoy being close to my work and my workspace. I also have a family and being close to home really helps. My creative process is really backward. For the artwork, most people would build the frame last, after the art has been finished. I build the frame first from whatever size wood I have on hand. My work evolves as it is created, I rarely know what the piece will look like when it's done so I need the structure of the frame to build from which is why that has to be first. After that, I scavenge for parts and pieces, I paint, draw, stain, bend wire, screw things together and go sailing to find inspiration. Sailing is a big part of our life and sometimes I think making art is a way to re-live some of the adventures we have sailing. Workspace Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy? Kari Halker-Saathoff  http://mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=51375 Sarah Sitarz  http://www.sarahmichaeladesigns.com/ Marisa Martinez  http://www.meztizadesigns.com/ Scott McGlasson  http://woodsport.net/modernwoodcraft/ Rod Massey  http://www.rodmassey.com/index.html If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see? I hate to admit this, but I really don't get out to see much work or many shows. Life has a way of filling my time. I think this goes back to having the studio at home where I love to be and not hearing through the grapevine about who's doing what and where. I'm no purist, but I think this helps keeps my work purely my own.  I do work regularly with Merry Beck at Gallery 360 in Minneapolis. I also have a number of friends in the Casket Arts Building http://www.casketarts.com/ so you might see me bumming around there. Inner Space Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future? I have a show opening Friday, April 13 at the Bloomington Art Center with an artist talk on Thursday 5/10 at 7:00 PM It runs through May 18, 2012 with painter Jack Dale. Danny Saathoff Bloomington Art Center