Lindsy Marshall

Lindsy Marshall is a glass and mixed media artist whose work examines material studies, the duality of creation and deconstruction, and the process of deterioration with the passing of time.  She received her BFA with a concentration in glass from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2017. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. From 2018 to 2020 Lindsy was an artist in residence at Worcester Center for Crafts.

You’re a new addition to the crayon box: Which color are you and why?
I would be an opal crayon; something that’s opaque but transparent, has a shiny translucent rainbow hidden inside

How did you become interested in art?
As long as I can remember, my dad has been painting really just for himself. As a kid I always loved his studio; with all the different sized brushes, his palettes filled with colors, crusted half dried paint and his very textured paintings. This was definitely my introduction into what I would love later on.

What has your path to art looked like?
My path has been generic in a good way I suppose. I was interested in art in high school and was able to attend Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Found the glass program and basically fell in love with the material. After graduating in 2017; I have been teaching, working with a glass production company, and I was an artist in residence at Worcester Craft Center.  

Who are other artists that have influenced your work? 
There so many but a few are Ana Mendieta, Eva Hesse, Egon Schiele, Robert Smithson, Olafur Eliasson

How would you describe your current relationship to nature, and how is that reflected in your work? 
My relationship to nature ebs and flows; in a constant state of moving together. Its reflected within my work like nature it’s is about discovery and exploring the little things, the amazing details

You are currently based in Boston; how has living in a large city impacted your work? Especially when it is so centered in representations of the natural world? 
I think its super important to take lots of walks and immerse myself within the outside world. Finding the hidden wooden areas or unique spots untouched by the rest of the city. I also find it special when the little things of nature are popping through; the flower growing through the cement, the rust impressions left, the trees knotting through the fences. It forces you to search for the magical nature moments finding inspiration everywhere

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given? 
The best advice I ever received was from a teacher telling me don’t follow the glass rulebook, use it as a guideline

 What does a typical studio day look like for you? 
I drive about 20 minutes to get to my studio, I always stop to get a coffee and I typically have a snack bag and my water bottle. I’m big for always having things to munch on and lots of liquids to have. Once at the studio, things vary depending on what has to get done and what I really want to work on but normally I like to lay out my dried materials or glass colors pick which pieces stand out to me in that moment. Then ill fire up my torch or my kiln and start melting the glass down or mixing my powders. I’m not very strict with myself at the studio so some days I will spend focused on one piece and others I will have about 4 different projects or investigations going on.

Do you have a favorite part of the artistic process? I would say opening up the kiln; most everything has to go through an annealing process or a “cooling” process and it always feels like opening a present. The exciting moment of “what did I make and how will it look now?”

What is your favorite tool to create with? 
The kiln is probably my favorite tool and perhaps one of the biggest or my glass cutter or even my notebook (it has all the secrets in there)

How has your practice changed over time?
I feel like my practice is constantly changing due to the different materials I am investigating or mixing together. From the beginning of my practice I have always used natural materials but how I have incorporated them into my work has taken many forms. Also I feel like my brain is constantly moving so I also think over time I have become easier on myself to not create “ a masterpiece” and just create to explore/ question.

Where do you find sources of inspiration? 
I grew up in the north shore area of Massachusetts, lots of changes in the nature and as the changes happen so do the relationships with nature and itself. Find most of my inspiration from the natural world around me, the connection of nature and time and  the complex relationships humans relate to it.  Minerals and rocks, unique formations that happen due to corrosion; geology brings in a lot of curiosity. 

If you could become one of your characters/works of art which one would you become, and why? 
I don’t think id become a specific sculpture of mine but I think I would like to take on the visceral quality of my sculptures; heavily textured, ambiguous, muted colors with little pops of pinks, both transparent and opaque, and moments of sparkles. 

Which superpower would you have, and why?
My super power would definitely be time travel but not in the normal sense of time travel. It would allow me to travel into space; to explore other planets, enter black holes, see if portals are in existence, and see the other natural formations. I think it would totally inspire my work!

What is the most challenging aspect of your artistic practice? 
The most challenging part would be being so heavily relied on equipment along with glass as a material being very challenging and allowing the rejection of it failing to be apart of the process

Typically how long does it take for you to complete one piece? 
It truly does vary depending on the sculpture but my Duality series, each blown piece takes about 30 to 60 minutes to create in the hot shop. Once annealed, I coldwork taking about a full day to complete. I would say typically takes 3 days to complete one piece beginning to end.

How has quarantine changed your practice, if it has changed it at all? Has your outlook on your artistry in general changed during quarantine?
Quarantine definitely changed my practice; as a glass creator I depend so highly on my equipment so not being able to have hands on glass for 4 months felt very weird, after a small amount of mourning. I started to play around again with collages, collaging newspaper words to create my own sentences, sticking with dried material still but falling in love with lamentations. I think quarantine has helped me honestly reshape my practice and find the artistic creation within everything

You have the opportunity to work as an apprentice for any artist in history (alive or dead): who do you choose and why?
Anna Mendieta, one she is an icon and was absolutely taken too soon. I would love to apprentice for her because of her relationship to nature; the way she used mother earth as a way to connect through trauma and discovery, also the way she played with boundaries of the “normal” within genders, self-perception, violence, and beauty

What is your favorite accomplishment thus far? 
One of my installations was shown at Emerge 2018, which is a show put together by Bullseye Glass of emerging artists using their glass in unique ways, truly an amazing experience to be apart of 

What is your ultimate professional goal?
I think my ultimate goal is honestly just keep creating conversations and connections with humans through art