Mantras for a Sustainable Art Practice (Vol. III)
It’s been our pleasure to check in with five more artists for this series, asking them to share the mantras that have helped guide their work ethic during critical moments and offer snapshots of what they’ve been working on in their studios. While the following mantras were submitted some time ago, the sentiments artists share about making work during a global pandemic still ring true as we near the close of another abnormal year. Perhaps these insights from Martin Mazorra, Alexandra Riesco, John DeFaro, Cara Lynch, and Leah Roobin will prove useful for those of us struggling to find a direction and set intentions in our practice.
MARTIN MAZORRA
“This is stupid. I need a new Mantra.”
www.martinmazorra.net
ALEXANDRA RIESCO
“Don’t be precious”
This is something my figure drawing professor used to say to loosen us up and get us to just put marks down on paper without worrying about the result. It's always been a good reminder for me not to let fear of making mistakes stifle my practice; it's so easy to get hung up on potentially messing up a piece that you lose perspective of the whole and stop taking risks. In some ways, working in isolation was a welcome time to experiment and try new techniques without expectations. Most of my work is in intaglio printmaking, and I find allowing myself the freedom to explore without worrying about the final product is so important to creating anything worthwhile.
www.alexandrariesco.com
JOHN DEFARO
“Love and Compassion”
In 1997, I started a project called Love Paintings. The small paintings, drawings and sculptural objects all included a heart symbol set against colorful, patterned backgrounds. It was a moderately successful project for four years. Now, some 20 years later myself and the world is in crisis, and the need to demonstrate love is needed more than ever. During the month of April 2020, I decided to reignite Love Paintings.
www.johndefaro.com
CARA LYNCH
“Make things that make you happy. Don’t judge yourself for not being as productive as usual.”
www.caralynchstudio.com
LEAH ROOBIN
“Keep on trucking along”
Its easy to get put down when any plan you had for a year gets turned on its head by something you have absolutely no control over. The future is never certain, especially right now, but reminding myself to put one foot in front of the other and keep going has given me a sense of control.
ww.leahroobin.com
I’d like to thank Martin, Alexandra, John, Cara and Leah for generously inviting us into their studios. If you’re an artist who would like to share your mantra and some studio updates with us, please email sammi@isprojectsfl.com to be featured in this series.
Make work and be well,
Sammi