The Suzy Greenberg MFA Exhibition 2022, Interview with MAC

We only have a few weeks left for our annual Suzy Greenberg MFA Exhibition, which is up between now and March 26th, 2022. This year the exhibition is Juried by Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art and Coordinator of the Minnesota Exhibition Program at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Nicole Soukup.

2022 marks our 20th year of exhibiting MFA candidates, and this the first year we have extended this opportunity to include both the MFA program at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the University of Minnesota.

Today, on this final day of exhibition, we're talking to artist, MAC, who is a current MFA candidate at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Mean Pills AKA Kids don't do drugs cause they all lean closer to the edge of your reality, MAC, 2021

I'm sure you're asked this question a lot, but for this group it varies as we all decided to go to school at different times. Some of you graduated unexpectedly into the pandemic, for some this may have been a conscious decision, so why grad school -now?

My honest answer to this question is that I didn't want to start working my day job in a pandemic. I graduated in December of 2019 with my degree and license in K-12 visual arts. The amount of stress teachers have been put under the last two years was not anything I was interested in. So I decided to go to grad school. It was part of the plan to go to grad school eventually but when the pandemic hit, it was evident that grad school was the path at this moment.

As an artist, you're often asked to "describe your practice", so for the sake of maybe sounding a little less pretentious, what are some things you like about your practice? What kickstarts things in the studio for you?

Music and retro media is a kickstarter for when I start working. I listen to a lot of 60s, 70s, and 80s music (I'm really into Disco ATM. The Bee Gees are my one true loves.), and I find it inspires me and jump starts me to start working. I need to be in a positive mindset when I'm working and usually the retro media helps achieve that goal.

I'm in love with an ostrich, MAC, 2021

What kind of elements often show up in your work?

As for materials, I exclusively use acrylic paint and my top secret mixer I use is airbrush fluid. It helps my paints have a lower viscosity which makes it easier for me to use them. What are some themes that show up in your work? A theme in my work is escapism with a sprinkle of nostalgia.

One cat, two bats, three rats, MAC, 2021

What are you working on now? I'm currently working on the final painting in my "Bee Stings" project. For those who don't know, I am a swimmer and during the pandemic once gyms opened back up again, the pool was the only place you could hang out with people and not have to wear a mask. It was a sense of normality when the world was turned upside down. Long story short, I wanted to unify people and created the "fake" swim team, The Bee Stings. I noticed that when you are on a club team, or a team in high school, you all wear the same swim caps and the sense of camaraderie is great. But when I swam with my friends, we were all wearing different caps from over the years and I wanted to bring us together. So if you want a Bee Stings swim cap, just DM me on instagram and I'll send it out. But yeah, I'm currently painting the synopsis of the Bee Stings sentiment.

Reach out to MAC on instagram @hexaween13 for a rad swim cap, and see more of MAC's work on their website hexaween13.weebly.com

This is the last day of the Suzy Greenberg MFA Exhibition, we have been incredibly honored to continue and expand upon our founders vision and support for emerging artists! We hope you've enjoyed getting to know these talented artists and seeing their works, we wish them a many congratulations on this show and the many more they have to come!