All About Trading - ArtTrader Magazine

Art TRADER
m a g a z i n e
An Interview with
Randi Marx
Randi is an enigma; her colored pencil works evoke mood and invite
meditation, or delight us with bold colors and masterful execution.
But who is the individual behind the art? In this interview, Randi
reveals to us her musings and ‘no shortcuts’ attitude to excellence
in art.
Tell us a little about yourself:
Randi: I know it’s a bit cliché, but I have been drawing my whole life. I have gone down many paths,
trying to figure out exactly what art is, and/or what art should be. The more I learn, the less I know. I
love the line from Bono in the U2 song: “I knew more then than I do now.” It’s how I feel. I do have some
favorite ideas, though, and one of those is that art should “make extraordinary that which is ordinary.”
I’ve thought a lot about that. Some examples would be Monet’s haystacks or Cezanne’s fruit. It’s not
what they painted, but how they painted it. And I’ve thought a lot about photography. Since one can
capture a scene instantaneously, and then just print it up, change it in Photoshop, do about anything
in the world with it, then why draw? Why paint? This is an unanswered question that has been going
on since the daguerreotype. After all, the very word “photograph” means “to draw with light.” And now
we have pixels…. so much to consider. I don’t have the answers, but I do believe that being an artist
is more than just making pictures. It’s about creating questions and attempting to organize them into a
visual language.
And don’t get me wrong, I also believe art can be simple fun, as well. It can serve the artist (and the
viewer) in many ways! It has the ability to be everything from attempting to make order out of chaos, to
escape, or for meditation--just to name a few.
Therefore, I spend my days searching. I want to be an alchemist. The alchemist attempts to turn base
metals into gold. And this can be metaphoric, which is how it is for me. Base metal can be anything
without spirit. It can be a day without meaning. Going into the creative realm, I can use all the formulas
forged by all those before me--artists, poets, musicians, dancers, a shaman, magicians--and attempt to
change a common day into a series of exceptional hours!
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