Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marina Gonella. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Marina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
The biggest risk I took in my life was almost 20 years ago when my husband and I decided to relocate from Argentina to South Florida. Although I am not originally from Argentina since I was born in Chicago to Argentinean parents, I grew up in Buenos Aires surrounded by family and friends.
So, leaving everything behind and taking the risk of migrating here with my husband and a 4 year old daughter was very hard. At the time we made the decision, the political, economical and security situation in Argentina was complicated.
Starting all over in a new place with a different culture, language, and surroundings was challenging and took us some time to get used to and little by little, we started to feel that this place was our home. After a while when we were more settled I decided to make the move and dedicate more time to my art and to be a full time artist. I went to art school in Buenos Aires and have been working ever since but always in my free time and after regular job hours.
I started as a resident artist at Las Olas Art Center in Fort Lauderdale, this was just about when Miami and surrounding areas were starting to have a bigger audience. After that I applied and was accepted as a resident artist at Bakehouse Art Complex, ArtCenter South Florida (Oolite today) and Laundromat Art Space. All these years were a great experience to develop and focus on my work, get in touch with a very diverse audience and get to know a lot of fellow artist.
Taking these risks, although scary at the time, proved to be worthwhile for myself and my family.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a mixed media artist working mostly with collage, transfer, photography acrylic and wood.
My passion for art started at a young age, I used to spend a lot of time building stuff in my grandfather’s workshop; working with wood, nails, loose parts and paint. I loved testing out each one of his tools. That took me to sketching, drawing, painting and, later on, to art school. I graduated from Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes Prilidiano Pueyrredon, (UNA) in Buenos Aires, and haven’t stopped working since then.
My work is about the spaces we inhabit and the relationship they have with our identity. For me the place where we live conditions our acts, thoughts, behavior, experiences and what we hold in our memories.
Most of my landscapes are representations of places of my daily commute or surroundings. I start with the manipulation of photographs I take and continue with the overlapping and layering of different elements. The juxtaposition of texture, images and color allows me to reconfigure these places and images, revealing a personal interpretation of them.
I normally set my transfer or images of places over abstract collages, this collages represent the junction of texture, matter and color of the landscape. I really enjoy working with collage. Even though it is not the main part of my work, it gives me a lot of freedom. It’s like painting with papers; mixing, arranging and rearranging as many times as I want until I find the perfect match for the image.
I have participated in solo and group exhibitions in Argentina, Uruguay and United States, and I have the honor of having my work included in national and international, private and corporate collections. I have also been commissioned work for several corporations, architecture and design firms, institutions and cruise lines.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The great part of been an artist is the freedom that you have to do what you like. Even in the longest days at the studio, when you have to finish work or have a deadline you don’t feel tired. You feel accomplished with the work done and for bringing your ideas to life; I think that is the greatest fulfillment of all.
Another rewarding part is when I share my work with the audience, when I have a show, a client or a studio visit; it is always nice to answer questions and to connect with the community.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
It’s not always being easy to be an artist and to have the strength to continue no matter what. There are always a lot of challenges and I try to take them one at a time; continuing to work until I find what I’m looking for.
Last year while I was working for my solo show at The Coral Springs Museum of Art I broke my ankle very badly just 10 days before I have to deliver all the work to be installed.
I was really in a lot of pain but I schedule the surgery for after the delivery to be able to finish all the unfinished work and organizing the show that was really important for me since it was my first solo show at a museum.
Finally I finish all the best I could and with the help of the director and staff of the museum the show ended up great.
Contact Info:
- Website: Marinagonella.com
- Instagram: @marinagonella
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/marinagonella.visualartist
Image Credits
Marina Gonella