We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mary Hrbacek. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mary below.
Mary , appreciate you joining us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
Being misunderstood/mischaracterized is never expected. I came to study in an art school in NY that perpetrates images and concepts about what an artist is. They imagine every artist must be a starving artist, who traverses the City in paint stained clothes with little money in their pocket. To these people, this is proof that they are “serious” artists. I was straight from the suburbs when I came to NY! I was clean; I had been working as a teacher of handicapped kids, painting murals in the classroom which inspired me to to study art. Washington DC wasn’t good enough, I was accepted with little background in a private NY art school. The first week I left a lecture early after being at the school since 9 am working all day, then listening to a lecture for two hours. Twenty people left too, from a talk by famous art critic Clement Greenberg! Next day the dean came to my lunch table to shout in my face that I was rude to leave early! Possibly she was upset I was in the company of one of the schools’ founders, who worked so hard he actually broke down. After this, no one talked to me that year. The next year I was voted to be a student representative on the Board of Governors. Then I think with the political turmoil at the school, and the ousting of the associate dean, I was made some kind of a scapegoat! I have tried for decades to resolve and apologize for what I haven’t done, because I did nothing wrong! I think this is a fair example of a significant mischaracterization!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Mary Hrbacek; I am an artist and an art critic living and working in New York City. I relocated from Washington D.C. where I was a teacher of handicapped kids. I spent my leisure time at the National Gallery where I became inspired to learn to draw. The best way to master drawing is to study the live model but in Virginia no live art classes were offered. I moved to New York to learn to paint and draw in art school. I took odd jobs and taught until I got married and I could paint full time. I received the Juror’s Choice Award from Ann Philbin, then Director of the Drawing Center at the Muscarelle Museum at William and Mary College. While drawing live models my psyche shifted and I became passionately focused on painting and drawing unique trees with a human vibe, which resemble people. They convey this similarity by the gestures of their limbs and trunks, and by their special poetry. Collectors have told me they realize these traits from my works and will never see trees the same way again! I am proud to bring this connection to public attention, to accentuate that trees have the same needs as humans, for air and water and a clean healthy environment. With this realization I hope people will take more care of the sustenance of trees for their mutual survival in the present era of climate change. In this sense I am an environmental artist. I am fortunate to be represented by Paris Koh Fine Arts in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with a top curator and gallery director named Suechung who maintains a very active exhibition schedule. In May I had a solo exhibition entitled “Vanishing,” that included an in-depth Artist Talk regarding the plight of trees with Richard Vine, former Managing Editor of Art In America. Through Paris Koh I have met many art critics and curators, as well as other artists. The New York Art World is very competitive as you can imagine, and I am very proud that I have been able to develop writing skills to become an art critic, to expand my intellectual horizons and meet people in the Art World. I am a member of the International Association of Art Critics. I recently began showing my paintings, which at present focus on pink trees, in Europe where I believe my art is being appreciated. My Madrid gallery recently selected me as Top Artist! This year I have shown in Art Fairs in Milan, Italy, Paris, France and Brussels, Belgium. My paintings are semi-abstract; I work with definite tree images that I discover during my travels when immersed in nature or in urban settings. I would like more people to be familiar with my art, and to buy it for their homes. I have saturated my clientele in New York, which is why I am expanding to Europe. I am also listening to online information on identifying my ideal buyer, who is much more than a client, but is someone who shares my world view and desire to appreciate and sustain the amazing trees in our struggling world. But they may not be aware of how fulfilling it is to live with original art at home. I can be reached at: 212.864.4524, 917.549.9945, [email protected], www.maryhrbacek.com, @Instagram maryhrbacek_trees.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Over time I have realized that there is a powerful network in the New York Art World whose influence originated with my art school, which maintains vigilant lists of who is and who is not acceptable. Those who are not acceptable have their opportunities systematically blocked and their friendships regularly undermined. When I relocated from Virginia I had created a portfolio and was accepted at art school but I had little art background. No one discouraged me from this move, but I took a huge risk; I wasn’t sure about the talent requisite to make it as an artist. I want to be positive but real! I am hesitant to name my Spanish gallery in order to protect myself from being discredited where I am working well. In this context I cannot even send out promotional materials because the gallery will be publicized and may be contacted to damage me! But we need to live in New York with it’s excellent public transport because my husband’s vision is failing; he must avoid driving. And this is where the galleries are. I enjoy keeping up to date with current shows that stimulate my own artwork, but every time I go out to attend an event or engage in an exhibition I am taking the risk of being shunned! It is tough out there but as my mom says, I like a challenge!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
This is an example of my resilience; recently, I had a solo painting exhibition at a gallery located minutes from Manhattan. Before the opening, the director and curator told me she was hosting a luncheon for the gallery friends and collectors, and also inviting her close associate, another curator who is also a friend and colleague of mine. I was not invited to come to the talk! At the luncheon my art was discussed without my input! This curator is very involved with conceptual art whereas my art is visual art. I yearn to paint images, not to relate stories that are narrated to explain my work. I relish when the viewer interprets what he or she sees, which enriches my ideas regarding individual paintings. I could perhaps have illuminated for the visitors what I intend in my work. A large piece was moved out of the gallery to the window overlooking the street. No one walks there, so the painting would not be seen. I had to firmly request that the painting be returned to the gallery show! I can only determine that this move was motivated by competitive intentions. New York is a very competitive art world. I realize that.
I value my friends and colleagues so despite their questionable actions, I will never confront them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maryhrbacek.com
- Instagram: @maryhrbacek_trees
- Facebook: maryhrbacek
- Youtube: maryhrbacek
Image Credits
Heartbreak Hotel Naxos Ron Pascarelli Paris Koh, Mary Hrbacek Thalia Vrachopoulos, Mary Hrbacek Mary Hrbacek, Robert C. Morgan Mary Hrbacek, Costas Picadas, Robert C. Morgan Richard Vine