Marna Shopoff is an Indianapolis-based visual artist with an emphasis on abstract painting and intuitive drawing. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and Master of Fine Arts degree from Herron School of Art and Design, Indianapolis, IN, where she has taught as an adjunct professor in the Foundations and Drawing Programs. Interested in the concepts of design and spatial relationships, her work explores the idea of perception, place identity and visual memory.
Marna has led panel ... view more »
Artist Style: Visual: Abstract, Contemporary
Artist Medium: Visual Arts: Acrylic, Drawing Media, Oil
What happens when we set aside the need to represent what we see and instead respond with how we feel? To me, life is fragmented and layered, a mosaic of experiences interwoven with reflection and intuition: the places we visit, the homes we live in, the countries we explore – each overlapping and influencing one another.
Blending contemporary and classical approaches to painting and composition, I examine how human experience, place and personal memory affect my perception of self. I am interested in the interpretations of, and the interactions with, the spaces that surround me. What memories or feelings do these places spark and what sort of energy do they project?
Using vibrant geometric abstract paintings, I explore the concept of spatial identity, translating how place and experience uniquely intertwine. I use abstraction as a way to move through and define the two-dimensional surface and color to express a certain mood or idea. Grisaille expresses the idea of a sketch, an entrance into someplace new – while perspective and transparency, together with techniques of glazing and layering, create an illusion of depth and space, while visually conveying the fusion of memories and experiences.
Contact Artist
2014 MFA, Painting & Drawing, Herron School of Art & Design, Indianapolis, IN; 2012, BFA, Painting & Drawing, Herron School of Art & Design, Indianapolis, IN
Arts Council of Indianapolis, College Art Association, Foundation in Art Theory and Education, Newfields | Indianapolis Museum of Art, Contemporary Arts Society, Stutz Artist Association, Herron School of Art & Design Alumni Association, Cat Head Press
The Billboard Creative (CA), Sotheby’s Art Auction (Vienna), Indiana Arts Commission, Individual Artist Grant Recipient, Merit Fellowship, Vermont Studio Center, High Art Billboard Project, The Arts Council of Indianapolis, Artist in Residence, Stutz Artist Association, Indianapolis, IN; Artist in Residence, Teton ArtLab, Jackson, WY; Artist in Residence, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT; Artist in Residence, Taliesin Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Spring Green, WI; Artist in Residence, OxBow, Saugatuck, MI Mildred Darby Menz Award, Herron School of Art & Design
