Collection: Mary Sundstrom
A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE ARTIST
1. What do you do when you’re not making art? (Day job etc...).
I am an art and programming director for a non profit art center.
2. Why do you make art?
To make physical what my imagination demands.
3. What inspires you?
The natural world, especially clouds and swamps.
4. What/who are your influences?
Klee, Botero or Mexican painters of the ‘40s, Burchfield, Dove, folk artists, Midwestern Magical Realists and Gaudi among others.
5. If you could meet anyone dead or alive who would it be?
Salvador Dali.
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Artist spotlight with Mary Sundstrom
How has your art practice differed from what you originally envisioned when you started?
Starting from the timeline as a young adult I would say that my work has radically changed many times. When I first began seriously making art in college I was not sure what I was doing but I was always open to learning something new. This remains the case today. I am my most alive when I am in the process of learning a new medium or stretching in a learned one. This is why I am known to use multiple mediums at one time from metalsmithing to sculpture to videos to 2-d works. What's next?
When did you know you were an artist?
Right away.
What do you think the job of an artist is?
As an artist, I attempt to project my thoughts and feelings regarding my life into the ether. If I do my work well it can affect another person but ultimately it is an endeavor to make myself happy. This means illustrating from my point of view both the delights and darkness of my own world.
What are you most proud of in terms of your art?
Click to watch Mary Sundstrom’s answer!
Check out the 4 part interview series with Mary Sundstrom on our Instagram page!