In the two years I have been working with Abstract Impressionist Artist, Susan Marx, most of the work I have seen her do is inspired by the nature that surrounds her. She can usually be found perched in a garden somewhere in her native New Jersey, or on her travels abroad. Inspired by Monet, she has taken several trips to Giverney to be able to see and paint the gardens and vistas her muse painted through the light of the sun that reflected the ponds in just the way he may have captured these beautiful landscapes through his own work.
So I was surprised to hear that this summer she decided to take a trip to Paris. What inspired this Plein Air Painter to take a plein air painting trip to Paris? And how did this journey affect her vision, her life and her work?
Take a look and see. Her photos are self-explanatory, punctuated with captions where the artist responds to my questions. The city itself is full of life, as well as the sights, sounds, smells and scintillating scenarios that you just don't find in a garden.
And yet, there are gardens, vistas and landscapes here as well, all captured through the artists photos and canvases.
below left, The Artist & all her gear
Rue Notre Dame de Lourettes, Montmartre
The artist shares the experience that 'painting scenery that is supposed to look like Paris forced me to record everything some what more realistically. However, her technique of filling a brush with a lot of paint and her emphasis on color remains the same.
The two paintings done at Place de la Contrascarpe are interesting. The first is an interpretation of the actual scene and the second is just the colors:
I asked Susan if she painted with the group. She told me that as with other painting trips she goes on, she will travel with the group from place to place. Once at the location, she will find her own place to set up her easel, never with the group, so as not to be distracted by the others.
Like when Cezanne and Piassaro painted together, they positioned their easels so the other painter could not see their work.
And when I asked her 'Why Paris?' as a destination for this trip, she replied: Paris has an impact because it is Paris... with its' importance in Art History.
No doubt! At the turn of every corner there is another historic place. As she does in the gardens, Marx paints very quickly capturing what she sees.
Below, Marx paints Notre Dame de Paris, very quickly capturing what she sees.
Marx tells me she influenced by reality, but not a slave to reality.
I pick and choose and abstract what I paint.
And while her Paris paintings express more reality than many of her garden paintings, they exhibit a style that is uniquely recognizable as the artist's own style, a style that continues to evolve with each experience and journey she takes.
Four of Marx's paintings from her Paris trip will be on exhibit at Agora Gallery in Manhattan this October.
Idiosyncratic Expressions Opens at Agora Gallery, 530 West 25th Street, New York, NY (Chelsea), on October 14th & runs through November 3rd 2016. There is an Opening Reception on Thursday, October 20th, 2016 from 6-8pm.
ABOUT SUSAN MARX
It is easy to identify the alluringly colorful abstracts that typify Susan Marx’s new work, as she has a style that is her own. Originally a plein air impressionist painter, Marx has since shifted to abstract impressionism, a term coined by Elaine de Kooning. This style allows Marx to expel realistic subject matter while retaining the “feel” of nature. “These paintings are paintings from the inside of my head, deep down in my subconscious,” Marx says. “Painted from what nature leaves with me.” When painting, Marx allows herself to be led by emotional sensations rather than an intellectualized plan. Perhaps you could call it stream of consciousness painting. She paints at a passionate, furious pace with large brush strokes rarely waiting for prior layers to dry. The work becomes a sort of chemical reaction, concluding in an explosive collision of color and texture. Marx often leaves blank spaces on her canvases, most typically at the edges. It is a decision, she says, that “lets the painting breathe.” For Marx, process and intent are one and the same. “My paintings are conversations,” she says, “between my eyes, my head, my heart, my gut, and the canvas in front of me.” Marx is most interested in capturing the essence of a piece, bringing color and emotion together but leaving enough space for the viewer to engage his or her imagination. In this way she hopes to bring the viewer into the painting itself, to extend the story of the piece beyond artistic intent and physical content. Of her own role, Marx says, “I paint as a result of my radical amazement at the beauty of the visual world.” If you asked her who her muses are, she would reply: the Impressionist Monet and second generation Abstract Expressionist Joan Mitchell. Susan Marx received a BFA in painting from Boston University. She likes to continue her education by taking frequent painting trips to France: Giverny many times, Honfleur, Étretat, Rouen, Arles, St Rémy and Provence. This summer, she will paint in Paris.
Marx lives in New Jersey and has traveled extensively and exhibited widely. Her paintings are influenced by the nature that she enjoys, experiences and paints in her native New Jersey. Her works may be found in collections throughout the US and abroad.
She is currently represented by Agora Gallery, Ashok Jain Gallery in NYC, LF Contemporary in Sag Harbor, NY and the ACL Gallery in Livingston, NJ.
Visit Susan's website at: Susan Marx website.
Four of Marx's paintings from her Paris trip will be on exhibit at Agora Gallery in Manhattan this October.
Idiosyncratic Expressions Opens at Agora Gallery on October 14th & runs through November 3rd 2016.
There is an Opening Reception on Thursday, October 20th, 2016 from 6-8pm
Agora Gallery
530 West 25th Street
New York, NY 10001
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-5pm
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