Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcel Rozek
Hi Marcel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always had a love for art and painting in particular. Growing up in Akron and being so close to the Cleveland Museum of Art was, and still is one of my favorite places to visit in the world. In 2014 I went to Myers School of Art in Akron and fell in love with abstraction. After graduating with a studio art degree and a minor in painting/drawing, I worked a variety of “normal” jobs believing a career in painting was not practical. I soon found myself unfulfilled working in the oil fields in southern Ohio and decided I would quit to pursue my painting full-time. I started painting everyday, visiting galleries, and posting my work on social media. Slowly I started to notice that others saw what I saw in my paintings and began to have some success. Eventually I decided to move to the Los Angeles area with my wife in search of a strong art community and more opportunities to show my work. I’ve been in California for 4 years now. Today, I have a good studio with plenty of room for my largest paintings and a few upcoming shows. I feel really grateful to be able to do what I love every day and the ability to focus on painting entirely. Painting gave me a purpose in life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think theres a lot of uncertainty being an artist. Nothing is guaranteed and you never know if sales will be good in the next few months. Especially living in California where the cost of living is much higher than the Midwest, theres added pressure for things to go well. I try to focus on making good work and working towards a greater image within my work and letting that carry me forward. Everything else seems to fall in place when I put painting first.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I use diluted oil paint to pour directly into unprimed canvas and form shapes, color forms, and transparent layers. I like to think of myself as an extension of the previous generations of artists that came before me. I have a love for art history, especially the abstract expressionist, color field painters, and post modernist artists. I focus on taking techniques of the past and putting new ideas into them, specifically in pouring paint. I don’t use brushes in my work and focus on material interaction to convey my ideas and expressions. Color plays such an important role in my life and my art and I think a lot of other people feel that way as well. I want create new ways to show how important color is and to create that interaction between myself and the viewer.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I consider myself extremely lucky to have found art and to have a life built within it. The opportunities I’ve had and people I’ve met because of art are greater than I could have ever imagined for myself. The gratitude I have for where I’m at is incomparable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marcelrozek.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcelrozek_/
