An Interview With Artist, Mallorie Freeman

And The Sea Began To Cool

The name Mallorie Freeman should be familiar to you. For several years now she has shown in numerous galleries, events, and other venues around town. Her paintings and drawings of mostly women are more than just beautifully rendered and exquisitely framed. Spend time with them and you'll want to know their stories. We wanted to know more about Mallorie and she was gracious to take a bit of time and answer a few questions.

Wall Eye Gallery: Tell us about your background and how you came to be an artist.

Mallorie Freeman: When I am not producing artwork, I feel off kilter. The need to create has always been a part of my life, it's who I am. I attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and The Cleveland Institute of Art but like most artists, I discovered my love/obsession of drawing and creating at a very early age.

WEG: What influences your work?

MF: I am mostly influenced by my personal experiences. I draw and paint what I feel. I also find inspiration from movies, books, and music. As part of my process, I frequently use models and stage photo shoots for reference material.

WEG: Share a bit about your piece, Lucretia, that is in NEO-Renaissance.

MF: I wanted to reference a Renaissance artwork with a strong and powerful female presence which was not an easy task. I selected a painting by Joos Van Cleve that depicts the suicide of Lucretia. I chose to capture the emotion of this sad and painful story of a woman who was raped by the king's son and begged her husband to avenge her death as she plunged a knife into her heart. It's so tragic...

Lucretia, charcoal, gold ink on handmade abaca

WEG: What are you working on these days and what would you like to work on in the future?

MF: I am currently working on my solo show scheduled for March 2012 at Brandt Gallery.

WEG: Which Cleveland area artist(s) do you like/admire? Artist(s) outside of Cleveland area?

MF: One Cleveland artist who's work I like is Liz Maugins. I love the combination of a little bit serious and a little bit funny. She has such a witty sense of humor. A couple of my other Cleveland based artist friends whose work I own and admire are Ryan Jaenke and Chris Ryniak.

There are so many other amazing artists out there I could name but I have been making an effort to turn off the outside influences. I am bombarded with it all day especially in my job with the Progressive Art Collection. Not that I don't love being surrounded by artwork all day, but it keeps me true to my own vision.

☺

Thanks, Mallorie! To see Mallorie’s piece, Lucretia, in person, and maybe ask her a few questions yourself, come to the NEO-Renaissance opening reception on Friday, July 22 from 6:00pm-11:00pm. To see her work, visit www.malloriefreeman.com.