Marcia Joffe-Bouska

Octagon Gallery, Ames, Iowa
Artists' Cooperative Gallery, Omaha, Nebraska

Family

I was married four years before my daughter was born. And I remember talking to older women artists and asking them of their experiences, and being really stunned because one of them said, “You raise your family; twenty years goes by quickly, and then you pick up your work”—which is what she had done. And I remember coming home horrified, because I didn’t think I’d be able to do that. So I scheduled a show at the gallery for maybe six months after my daughter was born. And it all revolved around my daughter and the changes and just a different sensibility. I think I titled it, “How I Spent My Summer Vacation,” because she was born in June. I really had to prove to myself that I could continue; I could be an artist and be a mother. And I’m not saying that I haven’t made compromises. I’ve adjusted my work in ways that I can continue working with a family. And the family, that’s my priority. But it’s never stood in the way, I don’t feel, of what I am doing in the studio.

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Autobiographical

My current [1999] artwork I would call mixed-media sculpture. And it’s probably more overtly autobiographical. I think that all my work is autobiographical—and maybe all artwork is, but certainly like with the abstract pieces it would not be as accessible to the viewer. Now, I’m deliberately allowing myself to let some of my experiences be visible in the work. It’s been kind of a gradual process to the point that I’ve moved to three-dimensional work. I’ve enjoyed being able to use all different art experiences and art disciplines in the piece, not just restricted by maybe something that’s two-dimensional paint and canvas, but I could use art materials as well as found object—stuff that doesn’t have a traditional art association. So it’s been fun; I’ve enjoyed it.

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Artwork

I would say my work was pretty much abstract—both drawings and paintings—until the kids were born. And then I really started doing representational things that were mainly drawing, occasionally a painting, and then I would have my separate abstract airbrush work. And it worked that way for a while. And then I wanted to do something and couldn’t bring myself to continue the thread that I was doing with the paintings. And I had been gardening a lot at that time, so that’s when I started doing garden drawings—very, very small, very intimate watercolor and colored pencil drawings. And then through gardening I would dig up all this stuff accidentally—bones and detritus, junk—that had been buried, and I started making talismans and fetishes. For me, that was kind of liberating, because I didn’t work to any great extent three-dimensionally, and to use junk and stuff and make these little precious objects that had all these mystical associations—that was really different. So it was sort of out of those two experiences that the current work came.

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Criticism

I think criticism is good, because it tells you how people are responding to your work, but probably what’s more important to me is to be able to turn it off. I do enough self-criticism; I think most artists do. I think every artist has to get to the point where they maybe are their own cheerleader or believe in themselves. Otherwise, you know what, I feel like there’s not always enough positive there if you rely on what you’re getting from outside to keep doing it. It has to come from inside. So maybe that’s the first skill you learn as an artist is to be able to be focused enough to tune out what is negative, what impedes you from doing the good work that you know you could do.

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Advice

Get as much of the basics down as you can, experiment, learn all you can about the techniques and media, because you don’t know what you’re going to be using later on. I mean, life unfolds and throws very unusual opportunities to you. Most of what has happened to me has not been planned, and has not related in any direct way to any preparation I’ve ever had. Do and experience and soak up as much as you can. If you intend to do this as a career, get some good business skills. Be focused, and not allow yourself to be too buffeted by other people. It’s always good to keep an open ear and be able to evaluate and re-evaluate your work, and take into account the wisdom other people can give you. But you need to be kind to yourself and supportive of yourself, and open to all sorts of possibilities.

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Rewarding

When I look at art, that’s what I look for, I guess, is the connection. And the art that I have purchased or chosen to hang in my house, it’s because I have a continuing sense of wonder when I look at it. And that’s what I would hope—just for there to be some kind of connection, maybe some kind of joy, maybe some kind of insight that they would get by looking at my work, that would connect with their life. In general, an artist’s work reveals an awful lot about themselves, but for the viewer to gain insights into his or her own life from that, that’s really something special.

I certainly am sold on the arts and what they add to my life, and also how it helps us to know ourselves. Being able to pursue my work with the consistency that I have has just been essential for me. I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to do this until I die. It’s extremely rewarding. It’s the most challenging thing I could think of to do. It pushes me to the limit of what I think I can do. And that’s not a bad field to get into, if you could do that.

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