We
had the good fortune to catch up with an important voice in American
art, Marcus Zilliox. Marcus's work has been shown at the Smithsonian and
The Met, as well as across the country.
The artist in front of his work, Burn The Bloody Thorn, from 2006. Zilliox created the piece in 2006 while completing
his MFA at Yale. It is a plastic sheet covered in black and red writing
which tells the story of a small tribe of people who have been attacked
by a larger tribe. The words are arranged in the shape of the Aztec
symbol for “temple.”
Here's his artist statement from a recent show:
My
work explores ghosts, memory, ancestry, trace, and residue, using text,
images, and abstraction. My mediums are smoke, rust, plastic, paint,
and photography. Smoke is fleeting yet carbon black is one of the most
lightfast and longest lasting of pigments. As a medium it contains both
the fleeting moment and the taste of immortality, a timeliness and
timelessness, corporeal and incorporeal, living in the moment, but
lasting longer than a lifetime. It is Carpe Diem and Memento Mori, embedded in each stroke is Seize The Day because You Will Die.
In
his 'A Life in the Arts' interview, Marcus offered a window into his
evolution and process as an artist, making this one of our most profound
interviews about the creative process.
Watch the video here:
For more about Marcus, visit the following links:
Upcoming show:
Our gratitude to Marcus for sharing his time and talent with us!
About ‘A Life in the Arts’
'A
Life in the Arts' is a Zoom series celebrating those who have committed
their lives to excellence in the arts. Our hope is that this series
also illuminates how to navigate a career in the arts to up and coming
artists. Interviews are conducted by Masterwork Board member Joseph
White and run a half hour, with fifteen minutes dedicated to a q and a
with attendees. Join us - or watch our sessions on the Masterwork
Youtube Channel!
About Masterwork Arts
Masterwork Music & Art Foundation was
founded more than 60 years ago in Morristown, New Jersey. The Founders,
Shirley May and David Randolph, were passionate about the arts and
understood the importance of nurturing developing artists, and making
the arts available to a broad audience. Generations of artists were
influenced by the years of concerts, theatrical events and fine arts
projects Masterwork Arts funded and produced. Today, Masterwork Arts
supports excellence in the arts through a variety of grant offerings and
awards, a zoom series on 'A Life in the Arts' and virtual classes that
are open to all.
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