A Conversation with Marilyn Boatwright

They gets it honest

BFA, Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Spring 2020

KP: Do you think this will be an ongoing project, or will it have a conclusion?

MB: I think this form of the project is close to conclusion but there are threads of this project that will continue to other works

KP: How do you identify home?

MB: A place where you are able to be supported to become your best authentic self

KP: What are the importance of the cyanotype? Why was it important to add the text as context.

MB: I wanted to make images that showed the way my experiences had to be filed away, and the feeling of seeing those objects again bringing back that memory. Cyanotypes convey the object-ness of those feelings and memories, giving them physical presence and weight. The way the cyanotype and labels look like a typology, makes it feel like something that typically stored away but is looked back on for reference.

KP: Does this serve as a therapy for you in some form?

MB: This work is in tandem with therapy. The psychological concepts and intense emotions that surface in therapy inspire me to look at myself and the world in a new way, which drives me to process these shifts in my work. The therapeutic work of unlearning unhelpful coping mechanisms and relearning how I want to exist in the world is done in therapy.

KP: For some of the composite/collage like images, what was your thought process of creating those?

MB : I'm constantly snapping pictures or picking up bits and pieces to add to collages. When I see an image that touches on an emotional tenor I've been experiencing, I keep it around me. If it works out that feeling on its own, I print it. If it needs work to get to that feeling, I keep it in a small print or jpeg, until I find a pattern between images or objects that reaches that emotion. The goal is to create a visual expression of a feeling, the layers help reach the specific note of that emotion if the work needs it to be fleshed out.

KP: If you were to give an artist talk what would be one key thing you would want us to take away?

MB: Don't be afraid to ask for help

KP: In the long run, how would you want to display this work?

MB: I would love to have an intimate gallery space where I could create a large scale mood board of my images. This format could be used to execute a tighter pattern between the images and allow the viewer to make more visual connections.

KP: Has your family seen this work? If so, do they understand your intention?

MB: My family functions on a don't ask, don't tell basis. I've sent them some of the portrait pictures, and even asked for their help to find family photographs but, they've never directly asked what my thesis work is about.

KP: Since this is something you repeat every passage home, how has this affected your creative process?

MB: I've always used taking pictures as an excuse to get out of the house before college but, now with how little time I have with my parents, I walk with my family and take pictures with them. This project has enabled me to create a space where I feel comfortable to assert my boundaries while I am at home and to not forget to process what comes up for me while I'm there.