As promised, the interview of me done by two Layola High School students, Trevor and Charlie.

Trevor and Charlie:   How did you come to have a show in the gallery?
 
Marc:  Well, I didn’t have a gallery show in April, but I have had them in the past.  To answer question 16, I’ve shown in Akron, Ohio, where I originate, once, and in Missoula about 8 times.  Some galleries will agree to let you show if you just walk in and ask, providing some examples of your work.  Others require you to write a proposal for exhibition.  I prefer face to face inquiries, but email and phone calls are a good first step.
T&C:  What does your series mean? 
 
Marc:  n/a, because it wasn’t a series.  It was a retrospective of previously displayed work, and there was no continuity among the pieces.
T&C:  How did you physically create your series?
 
Marc:  Again, n/a, because it wasn’t a series.  It was a retrospective of previously displayed work, and there was no continuity among the pieces.

 
T&C:   How did you determine a price for your artwork?
 
Marc:  I’ve written about this before.

 
T&C:  Do you sell many artworks?
 
Marc:  Not enough, but yes, I do sell some.  2 years ago, I sold enough one summer to pay my rent for four months.  Recently, I’ve exhibited less, and therefore have sold less.

 
T&C:  Tell us about your art studies. Did you major in art, go to art school or did are you self taught?
 
Marc:  I took a drawing class — figure study — in high school, as well as a photography class.  I have not formally studied artwork beyond that.

 
T&C:   When do you make art?
 
Marc:  When I’m not at work, I try to make art in the evenings and the weekends.

 
T&C:  Where do you make your art?
 
Marc:  In my apartment and in my garage, which serves as a studio.  Photography — on the streets and in nature.

 
T&C:  Have you always worked in the same medium?
 
Marc:  I work in a variety of mediums and am always experimenting.

 
T&C:   When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
 
Marc:  When I was 6 years old.

 
T&C:  What was the inspiration for the demonstration and the destruction of your artwork?
 
Marc:  This could be a lengthy answer, but for now, I’ll just say that The Open Field Artists contacted me to participate in this performance art.  They were the Secret Agents.  The inspiration was their “Secret Agents” collective character is meant to provoke questions among the viewers of how our current government is treating its citizens.  Our civil liberties are constantly being taken away, and they applied that to public art displays.
T&C:  What was the reasoning for having your gallery in the alley way?
 
Marc:  I’ve written about this before too.  After you read it, if you still have questions about why I like to show in alleys, let me know.
T&C:  Your work was currently in Taco del Sol, what’s your favorite thing to eat there if you do in fact eat there?
 
Marc:  1/2 size fish supreme, black beans, hot sauce and sometimes jalapeños.
T&C:  What draws you towards creating collages?
 
Marc:  Media agencies and corporate media have expended large amounts of money and time creating an art form which takes things out of context to manipulate viewers. We, the viewers, are bombarded with imagery and words until we become numb to their contexts and meanings. I take what this media gives us and build new contexts from it. Disjointed juxtaposed images with contrasting meanings work together forming new concepts, fresh ideas and layers of meaning. Recycling and renewing old ideas, thoughts and feelings from the discarded often brings unexpected, and always fun, results.
T&C:  What has been the overall reaction of the people who viewed your art?
 
Marc:  My art is well received, but probably a little too contemporary for Missoula audiences.
T&C:   How many other shows have you done in the past?
 
Marc:  See answer to Q1.
T&C:   What was the main inspiration for your pieces?
 
Marc:  It depends on the piece, or on the series of pieces.  Generally speaking, I draw from personal experiences/emotions, or ideas about how the word works or how I think it should work.
T&C:  What advice would you give a beginning artist who wants to be successful?
 
Marc:  Make. Art.  Lots of it.  Never take “no” as an answer.  Practice.  Pay attention to finance classes available to you.  Pay attention to history and to current events.  Imitate artists you love in order to learn from them.  Explore.  Ask lots of questions.
T&C:  What do you think about our current president?
 
Marc:  He should be ashamed of himself.  Only 258 days left. (as of the writing of the interview).
 
T&C:   If you don’t mind me asking, who are going to vote for in the upcoming election?
 
Marc:  You can probably guess.