Just as with the opening reception the week before, Atrium Gallery had to get creative when making space for all who came to fellowship with St. Louis native Michael Marshall. On Thursday, the painter and craftsman discussed his latest collection of works at the gallery during an intimate artist talk. The quaint space is less than a mile from Washington University where he spent time teaching art before moving to Hilo, Hawaii, more than 40 years ago.
Atrium is featuring his collection, entitled “From The Deep.” The exhibition includes pieces inspired by his most recent years there – specifically the past decade. Though displayed as a collection, each piece has its own color scheme and backstory representing an element of Marshall’s life on the island.
Marshall is currently a professor and the chairperson for the Art Department at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois and a Master’s in Fine Art from Yale university – where he studied painting and drawing with William Bailey and Lester Johnson to name a few of his mentors.
With his recent collection “From The Deep”, Marshall has begun to introduce fiberglass. “I broke with the regular set of materials that I might use,” Marshall said. “I needed to add something to it.”
“Tumultuous Waters”… though beautiful, there is something in between the panels. The viewer will notice bits of trash like toothpicks, plastic bags, and containers hiding amongst the waves.
He found that fiberglass creates a lighter canvas that does not need wood to support it. He has also introduced a new way he tells stories with his art through the use of paneling. He created various paintings and collaged them together to create a new meaning.
Like with his piece “Yemoja- Waikiki” – Yemoja being a water deity from the Yoruba culture. This is a collage of three separate pieces, one green, one black, and one blue. The pieces were cut and stitched together on a fiberglass canvas to resemble a street view of the city of Waikiki. During the gallery talk, he mentioned how at his home in Hilo he can enjoy the horizon. Waikiki is full of buildings so tall that they cover the sky. Even though the buildings are high he always knows the direction of the water.
Another piece that features panels and fiberglass is “Tumultuous Waters”. This massive fiberglass canvas covers the entire wall of the Atrium Gallery. This piece consists of five panels stitched together with a slate gray color scheme and subtle gold accents.
He gained inspiration for this piece while working alongside Patrick Hart, writer and professor at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. Marshall admired his soundtrack of bird calls and noticed how the tones moved in and out of space. He wanted to recreate this movement in his piece but found it difficult to translate movement onto a flat canvas. He then got an idea while spending time in the campus planetarium on just how to make this happen.
“I was listening to these birds and I was supposed to make some artwork in response to that,” Marshall said. “I kind of just surrendered to a more obvious kind of thing. The thing that kind of propelled in a way that I didn’t expect was that as I was listening to those songs, I realized the notes and melodies are moving in and out of that landscape.”
He learned about the concept of rugosity, which is used to measure the intricate folds on coral reefs. He found this concept would perfectly encompass the movement he was looking to capture. With a bucket of plaster, he went to work creating the folds and modulation he heard while listening to those bird calls. He first covered his fiberglass canvas with plaster, then paper, and then with paint – creating a rapid and energetic three dimensional water scene. Though beautiful, there is something in between the panels. The viewer will notice bits of trash like toothpicks, plastic bags, and containers hiding amongst the waves.
“Tumultuous Waters” once again shows Marshall’s love and high regard for the water. But when the viewer focuses in on the piece, it becomes apparent how this beautiful space has been mistreated.
The theme recurs with “Facing West – Mutants Everyone.”
“There are figures in there. They relate to folks that are in distress – that are on the street,” Marshall said. “There’s way more of it now. Hilo is not immune to it in any shape or fashion. I don’t do figures often, but I did want to include them.”
Guests were captivated by Marshall – and he welcomed interjections.
“Who are some of the St. Louis artists you that you admire?” De’Joneiro Jones asked.
Marshall didn’t have an answer for the current group of artists, because he has been away so long and doesn’t get back to town very frequently. But he was eager to show love to the artists that inspired him when he was still in St. Louis. Quincy Troupe and Oliver Lee Jackson.
“Jackson made an incredible impression on me even before I knew who he was,” Marshall said.
He saw the huge painting at the Saint Louis Art Museum that was part of his Sharpeville Series when he was a teenager.
“I remember it was up on the second floor,” Marshall said. “And there was a big opening on the floor and I walked around and moseyed over to the painting. I was looking at it – looking at all of these figures across this whole thing.”
After giving the audience another opportunity to spend time with the work, Marshall delved into the motivation behind the work, the process of creating it – and what he hopes the audience takes away from it.
“I guess you could say that when I am making my art work, I don’t limit myself to what might happen or how it needs to go to get finished,” Marshall said. “I think you have to do whatever you need to do to really make it hold together.
If you are cooking something and you don’t have the ingredient, you have to ask yourself what do I have that I can add as a substitute – and you never know, you might discover a new dish.”
“From the Deep” will be on display at Atrium Gallery through Feb. 22. For more information, visit https://www.atriumgallery.net/ or call (314) 367-1076.
Living It content is produced in partnership with Regional Arts Commission.
