Conversation with Marc-Anthony Polizzi
So It Goes, Cloyde Snook Gallery, Alamosa CO 2,000Sq’room, Comprised of objects discarded in and around Alamosa CO in the weeks leading up to the installation.
What interests you in collaborative work?
I have a tendency to get stuck in my own head and lose track of time while I’m working. Collaboratively creating brings a sense of accountability and perspective that allows me to see unknown connections and explore new ideas. Last year, this was more the case than ever. Having the opportunity to work with April helped keep me from spinning my wheels in the studio, and provided me with an external set of eyes.
What has emerged from your research & conversations together?
On a practical level, April helped me see my work in a new way. It’s easy for me to get hung up on form and materials, without giving equal attention to the surface treatment. But more than that, our conversations led to me taking a deeper look into who I am and where I come from. In a year of self reflection, this collaboration gave me the space to begin the process of understanding myself and how I fit into my community as a whole.
How would you describe your process of collaboration?
It was a bit like that long distance college relationship. Intense when it was in front of me, and relying heavily on the postal system and cell towers.
State Of Mind, Earlville Opera House, Earlville NY, 8’x2’x1’, Constructed from a collection of materials left over from residents at Sculpture Space Inc.
How would you describe your work?
I like to tell people who ask for a description of my work: “Take everything in your living room, paint it pink, and glue it to the ceiling.” It isn’t hard to imagine the objects you interact with on a daily basis in an altered state. Allowing most people to already have a relationship with my sculptures and installations before ever seeing them.
Color Studies, Utica NY, An exploration of form and color produced from debris left over from visiting artists.
Walk us through the choices you make in a single piece.
Prior to starting a piece, I need to collect materials. Often things aren’t gathered with any specific sculpture in mind, and instead are just restocking my studio. I gravitate to used and damaged wood and objects that tell me a story. The more of a history something has, the more shape it gives my work.
Once I have everything collected and sorted, I lay them out on the tables around me. Often working quickly, I begin to connect pieces. During this process my mind often focuses on some aspect in my life or the objects themselves, driving the form. After the work is constructed, I begin to carve and shape; refining it further. This process can happen over hours, days, or weeks. I go back and forth between adding new material and carving away until I’m happy with it, or I toss it in a bin with the other unfinished work.
Once the work is finished being built I apply a few coats of 2 part epoxy to help keep everything together, and unify the surface. After everything has dried and been sanded, I start working with masking tape to layout the paint, and finish.
I think of this work a little like a choose your own adventure book. Hundreds of small decisions slowly adding up over time. And like those books, I often don’t like the ending and need to start over.
How do you think about color?
For me color is a unifying force. I have always seen it as a physical object, and something to be sculpted with. Color adds tangible dimension and depth to my work; filling in gaps, and creating raised lines.