Marissa Apstein found her work most passionately when she was shut off from the bigger events of life, living off cadence, working nights doing visual displays in stores, or spending days in her apartment during the pandemic. With her work she likes to explore how we interact with the things, objects, feelings, that may seem small in the moment, but become everything in our memories. Through her work she explores that action of reflecting on previous moments and memories, seeing what sticks out, what is concrete, and what fades away. She uses colour and perspective, warping them, celebrating them, or sharpening them, in order to pinpoint that image or smell or feeling that grounds the entire moment. As an artist she finds herself going to battle for these things that she finds important, things that she connects with, things that connect her with other people, and aims to give them the appreciation they deserve.

Can you tell us a little bit about you?

I live in New York City and paint out of the one-bedroom apartment where I live with my husband. It’s a constant maze of wet paintings hanging up to dry or works in progress propped against the wall. I’ve loved making art since I was little, and studied Studio Art in college. I work in fashion merchandising by day, but during the pandemic, when I found myself with more time on my hands, I really got more serious about painting. Since then it’s been a whirlwind, showing in my first gallery in Grenoble, and having pieces in my first two gallery shows this year in New York City this fall.

What is your artistic process and how has it evolved since you began painting?

My process is and has been really grounded in pulling from my memories and exploring the ways in which different details change the framework of the memory. I’ve been working on shifting from my sensory memory to utilizing more of my emotional memory, which has given me much more flexibility and creativity in the themes I’ve been wanting to explore.

Have you recently been exploring any new themes within your work?

Because I was focusing more on sensory memory, my work was going in the direction of object to feeling. But now that I've done a bit of a U turn, I’m seeing what it’s like to take the viewer instead from feeling to physical representation. It’s been really fun to be able to drive the conversation in both directions.

Where did the inspiration behind your collection 'The Smoke That Weighs Heavy On My Shoulders' come from and what process did you go through to bring the idea to life?

The series started as an exploration of smoke as a vice. But as I was working I felt smoke take on a bigger role, and wanted to give it more of a stage to be this active subject and come into our lives in more ways. Whether it was through the smoke of a blown-out candle as the last person in the room left, or a smoking oven with this loud billowing reminder of a soft failure, I thought it had this dynamic viscosity that really interested me.

What role does colour and perspective play in your work?

Because my work is grounded in memory, color and perspective are critical tools that I use to mirror the distortion of memories. I aim to disorient the viewer, offering tangible elements for them to hold on to, while leaving room for personal interpretation.

Your earliest memory of art?

My earliest memory has to be drawing with my mom on vacations we would take when I was a kid. No matter where we were, she would always be prepared with paper and pencils, and we’d sit on the porch or at a restaurant and draw the scenes around us. I loved seeing the differences between what we both chose as our subjects. Sitting next to each other but coming away with such different images. Those early days taught me how to be observant and how to find beauty in the little things.

Who or what is your biggest artistic inspiration?

This is a hard one. I find so much inspiration through my current favorite artists, but I’d have to say my biggest source of inspiration right now stems from tackling challenges within my previous works. Every hurdle or unexpected turn propels me into my next endeavor. It’s so fun to see where it will take me next.

Are there any particular artists that you are currently enjoying?

I’ve been loving Camilla Engstrom’s work. I was lucky to recently be able to see her show in Paris, and it felt like walking into another universe or dimension. I just love getting lost in her landscapes: she’s able to create these amazing dynamic scenes really rooted in these luscious wisps of color and fluid lines. It was the first time I had gotten to see her work in person, and it was incredible.

What is your favourite book or film and why?

My favorite way to read a book is by knowing absolutely nothing about it before diving in. I’ve definitely had a lot of unfavorable experiences doing it this way- some unfortunate surprise horror plots which I’m not a fan of. But it’s also resulted in some of the best, because I’ve let myself jump in blind and be taken on an adventure with no idea where I’m going. My favorite book, even after all these years, is A Prayer For Owen Meany, by John Irving. The way he sets this protagonist apart, through his use of story telling but also his visual cues really stuck with me. He creates this great character, so unlike anyone else in the story and when he gives Owen a voice, he speaks in all caps. I just loved how he used all the tools at his disposal to differentiate this character. I won’t give anything else away, but I highly recommend it.

Are you working on any new projects you are particularly excited about?

Yes! I’m working on a new series exploring the emotions tied to excess and societal consumption pressures. In it I’m exploring the weight of falling short of these expectations, and the feelings of comparison and loss of personal agency. I’ve been using food as my visual language, which has created an interesting dynamic calling into question when is it enough. I’m planning to release it in early 2024, so join my newsletter if you want to be the first to see it!

Marissa Apstein - Instagram

Marissa Apstein - Website