Marla McLean

Artist Statement

Marla McLean loves to make art/objects and draws inspiration from visionary artists who create through obsession and need, and ancient art born of ritual and culture.
She tackles imagery through metaphor and material.
Her form encompasses painting and assemblage. She works in multiples, expanding and creating iterations of an idea.
In each piece, the process and materials are married to the conceptualization.

There are two overarching themes that permeate Marla's work. Syncretism and Social Justice. Her studio, Passageways Artists Studios, is located above The Word of God Church, in a strip mall. Every Sunday, a full band plays. Bass thumping and soulful gospel music and praise come through the ventilation system. While many might find this a distraction, Marla uses this soundscape as a soundtrack that shapes her work both consciously and unconsciously.
Both the joy and tragedy of current times are cause for reflection, creation, and response. Marla's art is often created in response to injustice both nationally and internationally. There is a tension within the beauty.