Oakland-based painter Marisa Rheem’s work can be summed up as refreshing, vibrant, and full of alluring energy. Rheem captures zoomed-in glimpses of street fashion, women in paint-splattered overalls, and slick manicures with curiosity and reverence, translating them into masterfully formed, enlivened, and colorful compositions. She received her BFA in Studio Art in 2014 from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM. She has received multiple awards for her artwork, exhibited in multiple group shows, and has pieces in public and private collections. After taking a four-year hiatus from the studio, Marisa now approaches her artistry with renewed vigor and sees her current practice as one of growth and discovery. She’s been busy with several projects but took time out to talk about her work and career.
How and when did you fully embrace art as a chosen field and career path?
I’ve always been creative but growing up I mainly focused on musical theatre. I really wanted to be an actress and I took it really seriously. I did musicals every winter and theatre camp in the summer. So naturally, I went to college for a Musical Theatre major. However, I quickly found out that theatre wasn’t the professional path for me, so after my first semester, I switched to a Studio Arts major. I didn’t want to live the rest of my life acting out someone else’s art- I wanted to make my own art. The Spring of 2008 was when I chose painting as a career path, but I didn’t really get serious about it until my senior thesis at The Institute of American Indian Arts in 2014. I poured countless hours into my senior thesis exhibition and the entire experience was completely invigorating.
After I graduated, I immediately started working for a fine art gallery on the historic Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico as an Assistant Gallery Director. After 5 months, I moved to San Francisco, California for a gallery administrator position in Union Square. Office jobs, even if they are in a beautiful gallery, are torturous for me, so I knew that if I didn’t want to work 9-6 for the rest of my life, I needed to nail this whole artist thing. I made a pact with myself to learn everything about the art industry inside and out in order to piece together what it really takes to make it as a self-sufficient artist. For the past 6 years, I’ve been an artist in sheep’s clothing carefully studying the complexities of running a gallery from top to bottom. I’ve worked for four art galleries, planned hundreds of exhibitions, managed over a hundred artists, and sold dozens of paintings. Right now, I can comfortably say that I’ve completed my undercover mission and I officially know exactly what I need to do in order to make this work. For 1 year and 9 months now I have been feverishly painting to build a large body of work to present to galleries. To be continued…
Best of luck with that! Your work, zoomed-in glimpses of street fashion, comes with a fresh invigorating style. Your art has been described as substituting stark realism for a more nuanced approach. Can you share how you approach projects and have chosen your mediums?
To be honest, I don’t really see myself as a good painter. I just simply show up, sit down, and do the very best that I can. That’s really all I can do. I just try my hardest to paint the very best way I know-how. Over the last couple of years, I have developed a certain set of rules that I follow to help keep my paintings looking consistent. I love to juxtapose flat graphic shapes against subjects painted using multiple layers of colorful tints, shades, and hues. In my work that’s why you will see very simple, flat backgrounds quietly resting behind zestfully rendered clothing.
My mediums are acrylic paint and Liquitex Slow-Dri Blending Medium. This slow drying medium is my best friend in the studio because it gives me extra time to smooth out the gradients and folds in the fabric. Acrylic paint will dry within 1 minute, but this medium extends the drying time up to 40% which gives me the time I need to play with the paint before it dries. This medium also enhances the depth of color intensity while increasing gloss and transparency to the paint, which allows me to build up several thin layers of unique colors to create rich, dynamic color relationships within each outfit.
You’ve listed a number of artists who influence your work. Is there a particular artist who stands out and if so why?
Yes, on my website I’ve written a few essays diving into the connections between figurative, portrait, and pop artists throughout art history. I’m particularly interested in how women have been rewriting art history through the simple act of being the artists themselves instead of being the subjects. One of my biggest influences is Jewish Canadian artist, Chloe Wise. Wise merges the classical European style of portraiture from the Renaissance period with present-day pop culture references sprinkled throughout some of her oil paintings. She skillfully renders traditional portraiture in a fresh spin on classical art, composing portraits of her friends in likeness to the 16th century masterful works by figurative and portrait painter Piero di Cosimo. For me, she stands among the strongest contemporary female portrait artists today. Alice Neel (1900-1984) is Wise’s biggest influence and of course, mine as well because she was one of the first women to be internationally recognized for her portraiture. Neel is considered one of the most original and daring portraitists of our century.
In addition, Kehinde Wiley is a huge inspiration to me. From where I’m sitting, he’s the most notable contemporary figurative artist of our lifetime. Even on screen, I melt at the sight of his paintings, ogling over his flawless brushwork. I had the honor of viewing one of his pieces at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. I probably stood in front of his painting for 25 minutes in utter silence, barely blinking, absorbing every single square inch of his masterpiece. If I could share one atom of his energy to bring into my hands, I would be fortunate. The trouble is that all of my favorite artists paint with oils and since I paint with acrylics, I will never be able to achieve their level of expertise.
You’re originally from in Washington D.C. but currently live and work in San Francisco, CA. How does the art community differ from that on the east coast?
Wow, this a surprisingly personal question. I actually fled the East Coast to Santa Fe, NM when I turned 18 because being a creative is not an acceptable profession in the Washington DC Metro Area. Being such a political and competitive culture, it’s a common belief that one’s career and alma mater builds a strong reputation that supposedly makes one a better person. In my opinion, this attitude allows individuals to coast on their reputation but also forces them to keep up with the status quo by pretending to be someone they are not. DC rewards doctors, lawyers, and politicians, while labeling artists as wastrels, whereas the West Coast fosters creative communities and is literally swarming with artists. In order to evolve as a painter, it is critical that I be immersed in an environment where I frequently interact with all types of creatives. Oakland, California is home for me.
Let’s all move to Oakland! Please tell us more about your latest series, “Impermanent Fascination” and your forthcoming show?
“Impermanent Fascination” is a descriptor for how I view my subject matter. I look at street fashion as impermanent works of art that are thoughtfully created by the wearer. Most of the subjects in my paintings are fashion bloggers I’ve found on Instagram. I’ve collected an archive of about 170 Instagram photos that I look through before I start each new painting. I capture their fleeting outfits and transform them into archival works of art destined for galleries. I’m fascinated by the limitless combinations of colors, texts, and patterns in streetwear. Painting all of these lively combinations keeps me excited to come back to the studio day in and day out.
This debut series of acrylic paintings premiered in a solo exhibition at Jackknife Gallery on November 2, 2019. I will be having my second solo exhibition at The International Art Museum of America in San Francisco this October 2020, with (hopefully) an opening reception on October 5th. Most recently I have been accepted into the De Young Museum’s exhibition “De Young Open” featuring Bay Area artists. Out of 11,000 submissions, less than 8% of us were accepted into this prestigious show. My paintings “All Gussied Up” and “Hang on Guys, I Need a Quick Breather” will both be featured in this group exhibition.
What importance should be placed on the visual arts and role of artists in modern society?
Artists are truth-seekers and truth-tellers. We are the most courageous because we’re frantically curious. We’re curious about how far we can push ourselves, about who we truly are, about our life’s purpose, about our contribution to art history, about our responsibility to constantly investigate our character, and about the importance of our role as truth-tellers. The way we paint is a direct reflection of how we react to life. Our role in society is simply to be our best self and to exemplify to the world what it looks like to live out our authentic truth.
What is your biggest challenge as a visual artist?
My biggest challenge as a visual artist is facing the fear of failure, and paradoxically, embracing the fear of success. When I walk into the studio, I feel an immense amount of anxiety and trepidation for the workday ahead. Some days I get there and I just hope I make it out alive, whereas other days I feel grateful to be there. It truly is a battlefield in there.
One of my (and most artists) daily battles is fighting the reality that the way I paint might not be good enough to provide a financially stable lifestyle. Everyone is born with a knack for something, none of which is defined and all of those we figure out through experience. My knack is painting, and my life’s purpose is to own and operate an animal sanctuary. What’s successful to me is someone who uses their skills to empower the world in whatever avenue needs the most attention. So, in order to become a successful artist, I must master painting enough to truly fulfill my life’s purpose. This is a massive amount of pressure to put on myself when I’m just painting a t-shirt. But for me, it’s really scary to pick up a paintbrush because I have to believe in myself. I have to have confidence that my natural artistic strengths will eventually bring me to achieve all of my financial goals.
As an artist and consultant for a pop art gallery, what advice would you give to young artists embarking on their careers?
I’ve been very strategic about building up my career brick by brick. All of my knowledge about this industry has been gained because I’ve intentionally put myself in challenging professional positions that pushed my limits.
My advice would be to use every resource available to you to get involved in the art industry. You must be familiar with this industry as a whole in order to understand your place in it. Artists don’t just fall out of the sky into luck’s lap of a well-groomed gallerist. We hustle and we ask for what we want, otherwise, you might as well chalk up your career goals to daydreams. If your goal is to work in galleries, then you have to ask for the jobs, promotions, and raise you want. If your goal is to become a career studio artist, then I have a secret to tell you: it has nothing to do with talent. It’s all about how much time you put into your art. How many hours a day are you putting into your work? How hard are you willing to push yourself? I see it as a formula: the more hours you put into your work, the greater the outcome for success.
Covid 19 has undoubtedly impacted the art world, with museums, galleries, and artists using digital platforms to engage audiences. How has this impacted you and do you feel public engagement with art has irreversibly changed?
This pandemic is both tragic and scary to experience, but to be completely forthright with you, this is all I’ve ever wanted. I have zero obligations to fulfill and no social expectations to meet, so it’s been liberating to be able to paint consecutively all week without any interruptions from the gallery. Pre-COVID I was working part-time at the gallery in San Francisco which cut into my painting time more than I liked. Breaking up my work week to bounce between the gallery and my studio completely threw me off course. It eliminated my chance to access flow state. During Covid-19 I have been in a flow state for up to an entire week at a time. It’s amazing!
Back in February, I thought that 2020 was going to kill my momentum because my shows in Tel Aviv, Israel, and art fairs in the Bay Area were all getting postponed. But as luck would have it, this pandemic has brought me more opportunities than I could have had otherwise. I was accepted into two virtual juried group shows and asked to teach a virtual painting tutorial on my painting process for The International Art Museum of America.
I’ve seen a lot of more virtual exhibits circulating the internet and rotating at a much faster pace than usual. Typically, a gallery will market for one particular exhibition at a time, but now we see galleries marketing all of their artists simultaneously just to bulk up reader content. With galleries struggling to invent virtual content for their clients, more and more artist talks, studio visits, tutorials, and exhibitions have been occurring. While all of this promotion is great for the artists, I don’t necessarily think this is all a good thing. When we are limited to the virtual avenue of viewing art, our ability to experience and fully engage with the works is stifled. It’s just impossible to feel the same amount of joy looking at a Wiley painting on your phone than first-hand in a gallery. No comparison! We need people to flood the galleries and museums as soon as possible to bring life back into the visual experience. Experiencing art should be a slow simmer, not quickly seared with a few likes and comments.
Where can our readers find out more about you?
Please visit my website, www.MarisaRheem.com, where you can purchase my original paintings and high-quality prints from “Impermanent Fascination.” You can find me on Instagram @marisapaintsalot where I post weekly studio updates!
Website: www.MarisaRheem.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marisapaintsalot/
Photos/images
Marisa Rheem working on “I’ll Pick You Up on Friday” in her studio at Jackknife Studios in Oakland, California in May 2020. Picture credit: Frederick Macklin
Marisa Rheem on the opening night of “Impermanent Fascination” at Jackknife Gallery on November 2, 2019. Picture credit: Frederick Macklin
- Gucci Gucci Goo, acrylic on canvas, 20″ x 20″ – Picture credit: Marisa Rheem
- Mix n’ Match a Mini Adventure, acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 24″ – Picture credit: Marisa Rheem
- & All Gussied Up, acrylic on canvas, 40″ x 30″ – Picture credit: Marisa Rheem
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A great article. An inspiring artist.