Marc Zaref

Artist Statement

As multidisciplinary artist, I am known to some as a sculptor, others as a painter or designer. Drawing is the foundation of my processes, and is apparent in my work on paper through playful assemblages of forged and welded steel. My broad range of skills are paired with a comfort and knowledge of working with an extensive palette of methods and materials. This enables me to freely articulate my ideas and expressions in two and three dimensions.

SCULPTURE: ENSOS
By shaping, forging and welding metal, Enso sculptures explore the traditional creation of the mark in an entirely different medium. Like ink and brush, fluid and often whimsical strokes and elements capture expression, fluidity and movement.

SCULPTURE: PLANES AND LINES
My planes and lines series of sculptures examine relationships of individual elements and how they interact with each other. Sometimes it is about the forms: the shapes, lines and the spaces between. Other times it is the shadows projected on adjacent forms or the ground. Sometimes it is about light emphasizing a singular plane or line.
Fabricated from steel plates and rods welded in position, I initially work on a smaller piece and then scale to a larger size. Most of the smaller pieces are steel with unique patinas applied. These are intended for interior display. As they increase in size for outdoor sites, they are painted. Both for protection from the elements and contrast with its natural surroundings.

SCULPTURE: SPHERESCAPES
I compose found and fabricated objects and thematically create a reaction with a single or various spherical element(s).
Imaginary surreal landscapes and gatherings of characters rely on each other to evoke a story. While some elements create a visual tension defying gravity, visual comfort is soothed when the overall composition makes sense. I build and then subtract only the necessary elements to leave room for the viewer to “finish” the story.

SCULPTURE: STEEL DRAWINGS
Shaping steel rods by hand, bending jigs and heat, lines are formed to compose a gestural story. Most pieces begin by sketches in wire and mounted on wood blocks. While some remain as maquettes, others are translated into larger works.

WORKS ON PAPER: TIDEPOOL COMPOSITIONS
Ecosystems of chaos and survival, nourishment and death, darkness and light, monochrome and color, stillness interrupted by the turbulence of crashing waves. The vastness of the unknown lets us imagine and get lost in familiar shapes and colors, finding comfort in the solitude of observation.
My drawing studies and observations are recorded by the shores of New England’s rocky coastline and then further developed in my studio. Lost in the depth of an ever changing world, drawing and explorations of abstraction led me to visualize the expanse of this natural world.

MIXED MEDIA: UNBOUND SERIES
Mixed-media assemblages from deconstructed case-bound books (all destined for recycling). My process begins with a separation of book parts in a non-methodical way. By chance and discovery, through tearing, peeling and cutting, a palette of textures, colors and forms are generated.