Celebrating the Familiar With Marissa Apstein
Marissa Apstein is a contemporary artist based in New York City. She is known for her ability to take inspiration from the intricacies of daily life, mostly using oil paints and vivid colors to showcase narratives between the real and imaginary. When I first came across her work, I felt like I immediately knew her and the subjects of her pieces – because they seemed to represent all of us.
Marissa has a way of intertwining everyday occurrences and vistas with creative representation and deeper meanings. Her background in studio art from the University of Richmond helped influence her style and how she depicts stories. We’re excited to have her on the soal app and know that most people can resonate with Marissa’s pieces and her motivation to create.
What would you like people to know when they first come across your artworks?
I’d like them to know that my art is a very real depiction of me as a person and my human experience. Sometimes I can feel really silly, sometimes I’m confident, sometimes I’m really down. And more often than not I’m some combination of those. We are rarely defined as just one thing, and that’s what I love about painting, that each layer can have such a range of emotion or intent. Each of my paintings has so many emotions wrapped up in it. I love hearing what different viewers pull out of each, and if that interpretation ever changes with them.
Handling It, 2023
When thinking about where you are in your journey, what are you most excited about and what keeps you inspired for the future?
I’m most excited about getting to see what I create next. Much of my artistic journey so far has been informed and propelled by the process, whether it be happy accidents or incorporating new techniques and materials– what I’ve loved about each piece I make, whether good or bad, are those little nuggets that bring me into the next idea. It feels like I’m always surprising myself and I love that discovery component to it all. With each idea, I’m unlocking another level to myself, and it’s making for such a fun journey.
If you could go to dinner with any artist, who would it be and why?
It’s a tough choice to make, but I’d have to go with Helen Frankenthaler. I’d love to hear her talk about how she broke through the male-dominated art world and became such a force.
What is the best piece of advice you've been given?
One of my dad’s go-to sayings is “the worst they can say is no,” and it’s such a good reminder to put myself out there, ask for the things I want, and shake off the times it doesn’t work out. No one is going to advocate for you as much as you are, so keep going. The worst they can say is no!
What is one thing you wish you'd be asked in an interview?
I would love to be asked how I’ve gotten to this point so far because as I progress in my career it’s always a question I ask artists I admire. How did they get their start? What did their early career look like before it all worked out? Those early stepping stones always seem to get glossed over. So to answer my own question, I would boil it down to painting what I want to paint—not what I think will sell—and making connections. I’ve spent the past six months really focusing on those two things and it’s been invaluable so far. I’ve already had so many new opportunities come out of this new network and focus.
For example, I DM’ed two artists on Instagram and met them at an art fair which they then convinced me to apply to. I got accepted into the show and met even more amazing new friends and collectors there, and now the three of us are all in a gallery show downtown together. So much of making art is very insular, so really forcing myself to get out and make a community for myself, make new friends, meet new people, and take all of that support and inspiration back to better my practice has been something I’m proud of myself for and grateful I’ve been able to do.
Are you influenced at all by the seasons? If so, how does summer inform your work?
Oh 100%. I’m someone who loves the summer and hates winter, so come about January I’m already going back to the warm, golden glow of summer to help inspire my works. I think that’s partially why I use such a bright palette: it brings me back to those days, and I get so inspired by all of the colors you can find in nature.
What music are you listening to these days?
I’d say my current rotation is Chappell Roan, Hozier, Olivia Rodrigo, Mitski, and Maggie Rogers, mixed in with either a little bit of country or electronic dance, depending on the vibe.
Dip, 2024