During the past few weeks, Argentinian artist Magdalena Marcenaro aka Magda Love has brought beauty and intrigue to Brooklyn’s Pacific Street with her inventive and infectious murals. We recently met up with Magda and had the opportunity to pose a few questions to her.
When did you first share your vision in a public space?
The first time was earlier this year in Miami’s Arts Wynwood District.
What inspired you to do so?
I was offered a wall, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity. Growing up in Argentina, I know just how strong the impact of public art can be.
Any early memories of it?
I mostly remember the political slogans that surfaced throughout my native Buenos Aires.
What is your preferred medium for getting up on the streets?
I love wheat pastes. Its ephemeral nature adapts beautifully to the environment. And it keeps on evolving.
Have you a formal art education?
Not a formal one. But my father is a sculptor, and I grew up among artists. From an early age, I assisted my father in his studio. He used to tell me, “Magda, you have a special eye, and it will take you far.” And by age 18, I was working as a fashion designer and photographer and running my own business.
What percentage of your time is devoted to art these days?
Just about all of it! When my 9-year-old son isn’t in school, he’s often with me in my studio.
Have you exhibited your work in galleries?
Yes. I’ve shown my work in Buenos Aires, New York and in Miami. I had a solo exhibition at Gowanus Print Lab here in Brooklyn. And I’ve also participated in group shows at the Scope Foundation, Miguel Paredes Gallery, Peanut Underground, BOOM, The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition and The Urban Folk Art Gallery.
What is your main source of income these days?
Art sales and commissions.
Are there any particular themes or ideas that drive your work?
I’m particularly interested in the connections we forge among one another and how we treat each other.
How has your art evolved through the years?
It has reflected my personal growth, as a woman and as a parent.
Do you prefer working alone or collaborating with others?
I haven’t yet collaborated with anyone, but I’d love to.
Do you work from a sketch or do you just let it flow?
I don’t prepare a sketch – but I do have some images with me to give me a basic idea of where I’m going. But once I begin, my work takes on a life of its own.
Are you generally satisfied with your finished piece?
I know the next day.
Any favorite artists – particularly among those whose work you’ve seen on the streets?
Swoon, Rone, Roa, the Fleshbeck Crew, Reka, Lamour Supreme, Faile and Herakut come to mind.
What about cultures that have influenced your aesthetic? Are there any particular ones?
Certainly the Argentinian sensibility and its general openness to art. And from my father I developed a love for traditional German painters.
You moved to NYC 12 years ago. How does the general attitude towards art differ here from back home in Argentina?
Back in Argentina, people are more appreciative of art. There is more emphasis on culture, in general. And there’s more of a collective consciousness that its culture reflects. In Argentina, just about everyone goes to art fairs, not just a select few. But I do love the mix of cultures, along with the art that this mixture produces, here in NYC.
What do you see as the role of the artist in society?
I don’t know if we can change the world, but we can make a difference.
What’s ahead?
I begin working this week with 5th graders at PS 127 on an indoor mural project. This – I hope – will be the first of many collaborations in an educational setting. And I want to keep working on the streets and travel more in the years ahead. I’d also love to participate in street art festivals and events.
Tomorrow — June 6 from 7:00 P.M.- 8:30 P.M. — you can meet Magda, see her new works and view her mural room at Brooklyn’s NU Hotel, as she celebrates the unveiling of her murals commissioned by the Pacific Street Association.
7:00 P.M Meet-up in lounge of Nu Hotel
7:30 P.M. Walking tour of murals
8:30 P.M. Q&A and NU Hotel mural tour with Magdalena
R.S.V.P. to Events@independentcollection.com
Photos by Lois Stavsky
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