We were lucky to catch up with Patricia Schnall Gutierrez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Patricia, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

To pick one project that is the most meaningful to me is tough. I am passionate about each project I undertake. I suspect that is the driving force in the creative process.

My installation, “Erased in the Wash”, stands out however, since it is so personal to so many women. According to a recent 2022 statistic, 1 in 6 American females falls victim to an attempted or completed sexual assault. In most cases, and for myriad reasons, this social injustice remains hidden and often quietly buried. In this particular installation, the inspiration is one women’s tragic story about a sexual encounter that she tries to forget as she launders the sheets. Yards of washing machine hoses fall from ceiling to floor as sounds of whispers and audio abstractions seem to cascade throughout the hoses and escape from brass fittings, inviting the viewer to ” come closer” to hear her story.

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?

I am a multidisciplinary artist. My art career began immediately after graduating from SUNY Buffalo with a BFA focus in painting and drawing. Over the past two decades, the work has evolved to include, sculpture, installation, performance, and film. My approach is highly experimental, and through the materials and objects I choose to use, I invite viewers into a deliberate dialogue that often probes questions of gender and sexuality. My feminine-based approach to viewing and describing the world is based on personal memories, experiences, and historical references.

In 2007 I relocated to South Florida, where I currently live and work. RPM Project began in 2011, and I came together with filmmaker Rhonda Mitrani and photographer Marina Font. This collaboration, best known for our large-scale multimedia installations and short films, continues while we work independently and together.

I am honored to have had my work exhibited in numerous museums and art institutions such as MOCA Miami, Naples Museum of Art, Boca Raton Museum of Art, Museum of Florida Art, Appleton Museum, Lowe Art Museum, YAA Museum, Patterson Museum, Burchfield Penney Art Center, MADA New Media, as well as numerous University Exhibitions, Art Fairs, and Galleries in and outside of the United States. I have been a recipient of various artist achievement awards and fellowships. My work has also been included in private and online auctions.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Being an artist is as much an addiction as it is a social commentary. Personal philosophies and experiences fuel the work. Each work inspires and influences what comes next. More hope than a goal is to connect in some meaningful way with those who encounter my work.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As life unfolds for all of us, rarely do we get away without a few changes in plans. “Life gets in the way,” as they say. In my case, family, children, and financial responsibilities at times took me away from my work. Looking back, they were all meaningful experiences and distractions that ultimately resurfaced in later work and made my life more complete.  .

Contact Info:

• Website: www.psgarts.com
• Instagram: pschnallgutierrezstudio
• Facebook: Patricia Schnall Gutierrez – Artist
• Linkedin: Patricia Schnall Gutierrez