Interview with Art Is Everywhere

MARINA: I would say that the elements of influence where I draw inspiration from, have evolved considerably over the last few years. Pre-pandemic, you could say that I was somewhat married to design work relating to external, geographical, topographical landscapes and structures. The feelings I drew from constructing works built around symmetry and precise line-work felt overtly satisfying and were reflections of my own desire to have some semblance of control and continuity over my life, whereas in my current form, I’ve cultivated a burgeoning focus for more inward introspection and reflection and have found that in doing-so, my line work (or wrist work), has transitioned into a more relaxed state of fluidity and form.

When I think back to what I consider to be the confluence point between my work as it were pre-pandemic and where it is today, I believe this transition occurred principally in tandem. I gave up the notion of control in acknowledgement that I needed to process and deal with a cumulation of behavioral and emotional debt I’d brokered within myself and that was something I needed to process and work through, and so I began leveraging my art as a medium to process and work through these complex behavioral and emotional challenges I’d been dealing with for some time.

I look at my work today as something of a conversation with myself. What you see in my more recent works, are quite literally inner dialogues conspiring on paper. My current collection “Inner Dialogues of the Mind '' which includes two complete mini-series “Dysmorphic” and “It’s Lonely Here,” and 2 additional planned series which have not been published yet, are essentially short stories which orient around personal acts of exploration breaking down my intrapersonal relationship with self, digging into point-in-time events and hone in on common themes and patterns in my life.

I also view this charter of work as an opportunity to find acceptance around the things which I’ve found challenging and difficult to acknowledge about myself. For longer than I can remember, I’ve experienced a myriad of patterned behavioral and emotional challenges which have undoubtedly affected the relationships I’ve cultivated across my lifetime - but none more-so affected than the relationship I have with myself. 

And so I think it goes without saying that the inspiration I draw most from at this point in time, is locked in the desire to find forgiveness and acceptance within myself for all that I am. I think that as artists we may be inclined to be our own worst critics, however I think it serves as a reminder that as humans - we should give ourselves more credit and encouragement. At the end of the day, we must serve as our closest allies and advocates - and if we don’t allow for and make the necessary space for ourselves to exist, then we certainly can’t expect others to in any productive or meaningful way. 

While much of my work reflects the connection points I have with myself, I also believe that my experiences aren’t unique to me, and I believe, are relatable to others. The relatability aspect of my work is what I hope  transcends - serving as more of a two way conversation for the interpreter of the work and the work itself. 

MARINA: A goal of mine for this year is to get to know more people in the community as well as getting more involved in the arts community overall. I believe giving back is a critical aspect of growth and evolution and so I think of this question as more of like - how can I better support my community through mentorship, volunteerism, and advocacy. In the same breadth - my door is always open for anyone looking for advice and support. 

MARINA: My partner and I are residents of San Francisco, California and have an adopted English Bulldog named Ruggs and an adopted Mini-Lop rabbit named Hansel. Outside of work, I do what I can to help promote awareness and advocacy for rabbit well-being - mostly in the Los Angeles and San Francisco communities but do what I can in other communities as well. I think when people think about adopting animals they are more inclined to go for companion animals like dogs and cats ( don’t get me wrong, dogs and cats are amazing), but rabbits have been put in this unfortunate situation as being viewed as easy-to-care-for starter pets that are ideal for homes with children … This statement couldn’t be further from the truth and in turn, means that rabbits have one of the highest dumping, surrender, and euthanasia rates comparatively to cats or dogs. 

Rabbits are extremely sentient, incredibly intelligent and extremely clean animals - they also happen to be fairly costly to care for (like a dog or cat) and can live upwards of 14 or 15 years if cared for properly. That said - if you are a single or partnered adult and are thinking of adopting an animal, I highly encourage anyone thinking of adopting to please consider adopting a rabbit. I have an open door policy and would be happy to talk to anyone thinking of bringing a rabbit into their heart and home.

Rabbit Resources: