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Marisa Takal Where do you currently live, and how does it affect your art practice? I live in San Francisco but grew up in New Jersey which definitely has had an impact on the way I make art. The transition from East Coast to West Coast has been exciting and silly and long but I feel like I’ve finally come into my own as a person/artist. San Francisco makes me wake up early and head to my studio and have good mornings. I’ve surrounded myself with positive hardworking friends which keeps the passion and productivity going.
What is the best job you have ever had? I work in the AV checkout office at my school and so far it is the best job I have had. I get to sit in a low lit warm office all day, completely alone with a bunch of cool equipment and computers all around me. Plus no one ever checks anything out so I get to draw, read, watch movies and relax as much as I want.
Do you make work for
yourself, or do you often think of your viewer? I make work for myself but sometimes I feel a like I do a little too much! But when I do think about the viewer, sometimes I get self conscious that my paintings come across as too selfish, or that I deliberately don’t want the viewer to be able to access the work (especially when I use text). I try not to think about that too much and just let myself go nuts when I’m working and figure things out later. Usually after a couple of hours of non stop painting, I step back and realize I have do idea what just happened. Which, in a way puts me on the same level as the viewer (kind of).
Name your favorite dessert and least favorite food. Ahh I have a lot of favorite desserts so I’m just going to go on the last dessert I had which was ice cream and waffles/pumpkin seed brownie. I like all foods so it is really hard to say but I guess the food I would least likely want to eat on my own free will would be seven layer dip? Pork chops? A frappuccino?
What has most influenced your work?
Most recently the idea of routine and leisure have been most influential to my work. So much of my time is spent deliberating ways to switch up my daily routine that even that has become part of my routine. It gets so tiring but is also so good because by the time I start painting I have no structure and let myself run free which ends up being so relaxing. But generally looking at art has most influenced my work. When I am feeling low or if I am on a nonproductive streak, the first thing I do to get my butt into gear is head to the library or look at art blogs. I literally “snap” into gear when I see something I like. I’ll be flipping or scrolling through pictures and whisper to myself “Aw shit,” snap my fingers, put my computer away and head to my studio.