Today we’d like to introduce you to Meg Black.
Meg, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have been a practicing artist using fibrous pulp for over thirty years. I received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the State University of New York at Oswego, a master’s degree in studio art from the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, and a doctorate in educational studies from Lesley College.
I moved to Boston in 1986 to pursue my Master’s Degree with the intention I would work as a professional artist upon graduation. Initially, I exhibited my work at every open air art festival in Boston-the North End, Beacon Hill, South End, Brookline, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and ultimately in galleries on Newbury Street and Somerville (I still show my work in Boston on several occasions every year, particularly through the Massachusetts College of Art Alumni group and Boston Art Consultants). This was a rather exhausting experience but one that taught me a lot about the art market. How to talk to potential buyers, how to encourage sales, what work people responded to and why. How to build a following. Very important steps for a young artist to take.
Over time, I learned the importance of sticking to what I was good at and ignoring the latest fade that could distract me off my trajectory. I also learned how to imagine myself working on a grand scale by submitting ideas for public art projects that are both challenging and rewarding. Working on large scale projects allow me to expand my oeuvre as an artist and increase my audience. I also like working with other art professionals such as interior designers and architects who I can have thoughtful conversations with about my ideas for art for public spaces.
Today, my original paintings have been acquired by numerous private and public art collections, including the State of New Hampshire, Fidelity Investments National and International, General Foods, and Bain Capital. My artist books may be found in the collections of the Houghton Library of Harvard University, the Rhode Island School of Design Print Library, the Boston Public Library and the Smith College Library.
I have also contributed to several publications including The Arts, Aesthetics, and Education, and The Salem State University Sextant, and Hand-Papermaking Magazine. I have appeared on Home and Garden TV and New England Chronicle.
Has it been a smooth road?
No! Money, time and opportunity are always at a premium for an artist.
Money is always an issue because it can take so long to create art, it is difficult to get paid for the value of my time.
Time is consequently an issue because being in the studio chews up so much time. I have missed out on many an outing, social gathering and friend groups because of the hours I have dedicated to my work. I wouldn’t change it, but any young person going into this field needs to know this reality.
Opportunities are something an artist has to make happen-they don’t come knocking at my door. I am constantly looking for new opportunities where my work can be part of a venue. I am currently working on a large scale commission for our newly renovated town hall. No one approached me about creating this work, I recognized the potential for an opportunity to submit a proposal for a painting and it was accepted by the building committee. This ability to see opportunities is essential for success. You simply have to put yourself out there and convince people your ideas will add value to their projects. No shortcuts on this one!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am the owner of Meg Black Studios. I use fibers to create original works of art that have a 3D surface quality that imitate the natural imagery my work seeks to represent. I do not paint with brushes, I use squeeze bottles, plastic spoons, turkey basters, and old credit cards as my painting materials.
I am an artist and art historian. I find inspiration in historical works of art and use that inspiration to inform my own efforts. In this way, I connect my ideas to the great artists whose ideas have come down to us through the ages. The subject of my work is natural-environments. I study how artists have recorded nature throughout the history of art, and I consider these approaches in my own designs. When considering nature, I do not try to copy the natural world as I see it but, rather, as I feel it. Moved by the natural light and organic shapes I observe in the places I visit seeking inspiration, I try to capture in my work the essence and mood of the place as well as to formulate a graphic interpretation of what I see.
I create my work with beaten abaca for two reasons: (1) this material has not been widely used as an artistic media, thus I am constantly discovering its potential and am challenged by its capacities which allows me to be a pioneer in this process; and (2) the texture of this media provides an almost three- dimensional quality to the finished surface, thus mimicking nature in all its splendor.
My paintings and wall reliefs are created exclusively from natural materials. Each work is pigmented with 100% pure, non-fading, acid-free pigments and is carefully treated so that it may be exhibited without glass. My unique process and careful attention to craftsmanship provides a seductive, textured surface that lends itself to the natural subject matter of my work.
The most common comment when people see my work is “I love the texture, it feels like I’m really there-in the painting, like I could walk right into it.”
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, I do think Boston is a good place for an artist like myself. We have a vibrant community of architects and designers so there is always construction and renovation work that calls for artwork.
I do think we could improve funding for art projects in public spaces and open those opportunities to a broader group of artist, especially from diverse neighborhoods. I know the Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, has tried to make this a priority.
Overall though, Boston has been a good place for me to work and I am happy for the chance to part of the art community here.
Pricing:
- I charge 600.00 per square foot. This includes mounting the work and professional installation. No additional framing is required for my work, so the 600. per square foot is easily to calculate the final cost of a painting.
Contact Info:
- Address: 48 Prospect St. Topsfield, MA. 01983
- Website: www.megblack.com
- Phone: Studio: 978 887 8670
- Email: mblack86@comcast.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megblackstudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megblackhandmadepaperart/?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/megblack
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-black-86aa3b126/
Image Credit:
Kinda Clineff Photography; Gary Tardiff Photography; Eric Roth Photography
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