Marisa Bazan
AQ is our series of hardcover catalogs celebrating extraordinary women artists. Available on Amazon. Visit the AQ Catalog Webpage to learn more.
Featured in AQ Volume IV, Marisa Bazan is a Latina artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Her mediums include analog collage art and film photography. Through her art, Marisa challenges notions of femininity by exploring the happy place where beauty can coincide with disgust. Her collage toolkit consists of vintage magazines, a purple gluestick, scissors, an old scanner, and an X-acto knife.
In her own words, "For me, collage has always been about taking images or ideas with almost nothing in common and creating a story. Sometimes the stories are funny, other times they're not, but there's always something romantic about the synchronicity of two images published decades apart, working together to illustrate an idea and create a new narrative."
Marisa’s work has been displayed in Portland Black Box Gallery, Pamplemousse Magazine, Rock Paper Scissors Collective, and Silver Sprocket.
marisabazan.com
What inspired you to become an artist, and how did you decide to commit to this path?
Ironically, I didn’t start making art until I got a 9-5 job after college. When I finished work every day, I felt an overwhelming desire to do something for myself, the opposite of sitting in front of an Excel spreadsheet. Eventually, I found collage and became obsessed with hunting for old magazines and piecing them together. The entire process kept me sane, and I looked forward to it every day after work.
Could you share the story or concept behind your recent work?
My work is a visual diary, and I approach it with that in mind. Simply put, my collages explain how I feel when words fail me. Each collage tells me something new about myself, and recurring themes typically represent my bewilderment with life, love, relationships, and sense of self. Sometimes, they’re funny, sad, beautiful, disturbing, and in a nutshell, they explain how I feel as a woman.
What was the most challenging part of your path so far? How are you navigating this obstacle?
Sourcing materials! I am on a never-ending hunt for vintage magazines on Craigslist, yard sales, and eBay. Finding exactly what I'm looking for can take time, making commissions tricky.
What role does experimentation and exploration play in your artistic practice?
Experimentation is everything. I only know what something will look like once I try it. 70% of the time, it ends up a ball in the trash, but the other 30% of the time, something special happens. Analog collaging is all about taking risks; there's no Command-Z. Once something is cut and glued, that's it. You can rip it up and start over, but it'll always be different from the original image you found.
Do you have any start or stop rituals before creating?
In a perfect world, I’ll have a cup of tea and music playing, but when I’m in the middle of a collage, I usually leave it out and come back to it randomly throughout the day. This makes the process less linear than you’d expect, resulting in challenging-to-follow rituals. Sometimes, I’ll leave something out half-done, run an errand, come back, cut something else, walk away, etc.
What message do you hope your art conveys to the world?
I hope my art gives a glimpse into the female experience, showing people how it feels to be a woman and a survivor.
Share a mantra or favorite quote that keeps you going.
"If someone threw up at one of my screenings, it would be like a standing ovation." – John Waters
