{"id":10136,"date":"2011-08-27T08:41:06","date_gmt":"2011-08-27T17:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/?p=10136"},"modified":"2011-08-27T11:39:04","modified_gmt":"2011-08-27T20:09:04","slug":"interview-with-norbert-marszalek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/interview-with-norbert-marszalek\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Norbert Marszalek"},"content":{"rendered":"

Norbert Marszalek has been living and working in Chicago for all of his painting career. He has shown at the George Billis Gallery <\/a>in Los Angeles and has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the United States. He handles paint in his emotionally charged portraits a little like the British artist Jenny Saville\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lush dichotomy of realism and abstraction.<\/p>\n

I have only corresponded with Norbert online through his blog, Neoteric Art<\/a>, which I found in 2008 when I first began my own. He always showcases thoughtful and informative posts on the arts.<\/p>\n

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Phoenix Bound<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0Oil on canvas,\u00c2\u00a013″ x 17″\u00c2\u00a02007<\/p>\n

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Dialogue No. 4<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0Oil on canvas,\u00c2\u00a018″ x 24″\u00c2\u00a02003.<\/p>\n

What led you to become a painter?<\/em><\/p>\n

NM Drawing and painting have always been a part of my life. My brother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s art books were around the house and I remember poring over them with great enthusiasm at a very young age\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI was around six or seven years old. I was in awe of Edward Hopper\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Nighthawks<\/em>, George Bellow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Stag at Sharkey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s <\/em>and Pablo Picasso\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s The Old Guitarist. <\/em>I really enjoyed the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153storytelling\u00e2\u20ac\u009d aspect of those particular paintings. At that same time I started drawing. I copied comic strip figures, sports figures\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtypical childhood stuff. As I got older I experimented more with drawing and painting and fully realized in my late teens that this is what I wanted to do with my life.<\/p>\n

Can you describe how Chicago or the region influences (or doesn’t) your work?<\/em><\/p>\n

NM The first time I became aware of an actual Chicago scene was with the Imagists<\/a><\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u201dEd Paschke, Roger Brown, Barbara Rossi, etc.\u00e2\u20ac\u201din the early 1980s when I was in college. The Imagists seemed too \u00e2\u20ac\u0153popish\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for me so it gave me something to rebel against (kids always need to rebel, right!?).\u00c2\u00a0 I actually admired Eric Fischl and the German Neo-Expressionists that were gaining popularity. I guess I have\u00c2\u00a0 always been drawn to figure work. Later I came to respect the Imagists and the preceding movements, The Monster Roster<\/em> and The Hairy Who<\/em> with immense fondness.<\/p>\n

Overall, we are all influenced by our surroundings\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6how can you not be? To answer your question though, I am influenced by Chicago in more of a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153working class\u00e2\u20ac\u009d sort of way. I come from a working class family\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmy father was in construction, then became a butcher, bartender and ended up in a factory. It has to do with work ethic and a little of those Midwestern values thrown in. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s reflective in my work.<\/p>\n

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DC Hotel Room<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0Oil on canvas,\u00c2\u00a048″ x 60″\u00c2\u00a02009.<\/p>\n

Describe your daily painting\/working routine and what inspires your paintings? Do you make sketches or draw on a regular basis?<\/em><\/p>\n

The routine is just about going to the studio and painting. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been painting in series now for many years so I have blocks of 2-3 years while I am working out the series. I really don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see it as a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153daily\u00e2\u20ac\u009d routine but more as a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153series\u00e2\u20ac\u009d routine.<\/p>\n

I just completed a series called Hotel Room Paintings<\/em> which I started in 2009 and have been contemplating the aspect of just making paintings and not working in a series. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be more conscious of a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153daily\u00e2\u20ac\u009d routine. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll see what happens.<\/p>\n

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Totem Hotel Room<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0Oil on canvas,\u00c2\u00a048″ x 35″\u00c2\u00a02011.<\/p>\n

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Triad Hotel Room<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0Oil on canvas,\u00c2\u00a052″ x 52″\u00c2\u00a02011.<\/p>\n

Do you paint from life or photographs, or both? If from both, is there much difference in your process?<\/em><\/p>\n

As a mature painter I have always used photography for reference (of course back in college there was a lot of drawing and painting from life). Not stock photography but my own. I would set up a scene and shoot (or have an assistant shoot if I was in the scene) various angles and perspectives and then take maybe 5-7 of those photos and make a comprehensive sketch\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwork out the composition. I would even photograph still life scenes and go through the same ritual. I then sketch out the canvas with charcoal\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI never project the image\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand begin to really flesh out the composition using oil paint. Again, the photographs and sketch are just for reference. I usually make changes as needed as I paint.<\/p>\n

As I have stated in my previous answer about not working in series, I also plan on not using photography for reference. It seems like I am in a transitional period. I have presently attempted a few still life paintings painting from the actual items. I really don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see a difference between using photographs and painting from life.<\/p>\n

I see Hopper and Eric Fischl in some of your interiors and a little Alice Neel in a few of your figurative works. Can you talk about the context of your work and any ideologies you may have as an artist?<\/em><\/p>\n

Well, I have mentioned Hopper and Fischl already in this interview and I really do like Alice Neel so it makes sense that you see their influence in my work. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m aware of it too\u00e2\u20ac\u201despecially Fischl. As artists, we eventually gravitate toward a personal style, whatever it may be. I like brushwork that has immense energy but is still controlled\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlike George Bellows. Fischl doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have all that energy but there is a sense of urgency which I really like. And then there is Lucian Freud.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m trying to find a balance with all of that with my own style\u00e2\u20ac\u201denergy, urgency, control. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m getting closer.<\/p>\n

Storytelling also plays a role in my work. I am all about the narrative. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why I paint in series. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like writing a novel. My series have a beginning, middle and end but it\u00c2\u00a0 may not be totally linear. Besides the literal \u00e2\u20ac\u0153story\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of each canvas, the entire process of creating each series is a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153story\u00e2\u20ac\u009d unto itself. With each series I find myself entering a journey and I record it using the canvases. It feels like it has culminated with the Hotel Room Paintings<\/em> series\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m in flux right now.<\/p>\n

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Waiting and Waiting for Nothing<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0Oil on canvas,\u00c2\u00a039″ x 49″\u00c2\u00a02008.<\/p>\n

Which artists have had the most influence on your work? And are there current painters whose work excites you?<\/em><\/p>\n

Besides the painters I have already mentioned (plus a plethora of others) I remember the first time I became introduced to the work of Willem de Kooning. It was back in college with his painting Gotham News<\/a><\/em>. As they say, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I was familiar with abstraction and abstract expressionism in general but the timing was right for me to really \u00e2\u20ac\u0153experience\u00e2\u20ac\u009d it. The explosiveness, the energy, the power\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a feeling that I have taken with me and have never forgotten.<\/p>\n

As far as current painters, there are also too many to mention but I do really like the work of Wesley Kimler<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 here in Chicago and Ruprecht von Kaufmann<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0in Berlin.<\/p>\n

Some artists suggest that the studio is too private for them, that they require a social forum for their work. Does networking with other artists and developing community have much bearing on your life as an artist and if so, how does it inform your work and process?<\/em><\/p>\n

I enjoy the solitude of\u00c2\u00a0 the studio but I do enjoy getting my work out\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI want it to be seen. I interact with other artists but that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t influence my work. The interactions are more about the art scene, gossip, news, etc. The community aspect of the art world is important. Artists should talk with each other more\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshare ideas, goals, dreams. etc.<\/p>\n

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Still Life With Yolk<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0Oil on canvas,\u00c2\u00a012″ x `16″\u00c2\u00a02001.<\/p>\n

I’m always curious about how painters are utilizing social networking. You have maintained a blog for a few years and offer interviews with other artists and you also post quite a bit on Facebook. I know painters who have been successful marketing their work online, even while they’re represented by a gallery. Have you explored some of these or other alternative ways to either exhibit or sell your work?<\/em><\/p>\n

Another painter, William Dolan, and I started Neoteric Art<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0over 3 years ago. We consider it more like an e-zine. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a way for us to vent on a specific topic, give other artists a platform and most importantly it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been a great way to meet others in the art world.\u00c2\u00a0 It has opened up doors. Neoteric Art was recently part of the Midway Fair<\/a> here in Chicago, which was a really interesting event. We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t use it to promote ourselves directly but it does help to get our names out there. Facebook is another way to meet others and do some soft promoting. You want to make sure that you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t over use it though.<\/p>\n

I have not sold any work via online networking yet but I do see that being a potential market one day very soon. I also know others who sell a lot of work online. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see the gallery system being as bankrupt as recent discussions have eluded to but hey, whatever works to get the work out there.<\/p>\n

This next question may dovetail with the previous one; are you able to make a living solely from your painting, or do you work a ‘day’ job?<\/em><\/p>\n

I have a day job that I keep completely separate from my painting (though my day job is art related and I really enjoy it). It is extremely difficult to survive as a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153real\u00e2\u20ac\u009d painter. I commend artists that are able to do it. There is a lot of financial sacrifice that comes with the territory and even though I have a day job I still feel the financial stress myself.<\/p>\n

Any immediate plans for exhibits and\/or the next series of work?<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m in line for an artist residency at the end of the year and some galleries are biting at the Hotel Room Paintings<\/em> so things are going well. And as I have said I am somewhat in a transitional period with my work right now. I am going to lay off the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153series\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and just paint individual type paintings. A series may emerge\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll see. Let me put it this way\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6instead of painting a novel I will be painting short stories.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/norbertmarszalek.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Norbert Marszalek has been living and working in Chicago for all of his painting career. He has shown at the George Billis Gallery in Los Angeles and has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[188],"tags":[87,916,579,1319,193,433,1278,924,1320],"class_list":["post-10136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews","tag-artist","tag-chicago","tag-expressionism","tag-imagists","tag-interview","tag-neoteric-art","tag-norbert-marszalek","tag-painting","tag-realism"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10136"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10170,"href":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10136\/revisions\/10170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furiousdreams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}