The Self-Figure: Artist Spotlight on Margaret Correll
Attending prestigious art schools in L.A., NYC and Minneapolis, Margaret Correll was inspired by mentors who pushed the boundaries of art. Finding success in abstract, installation and conceptual art, she was ever aware that formalism ran counter to her spiritual and emotional world. After getting married and having a son, Margaret began mining her own life’s subject matter, primarily through printmaking and collage. After her son’s death, she continued to seek expression through loss. Teaching figure drawing at Northwest Arkansas Community College led her to create a new genre, “The Self-Figure,” synthesizing her inner pain with beauty and aging.
MIXD: Tell us a little bit about when you first started making art.
MC: Although neither of my parents was artistic, they were supportive of my interest and ability. In 4th grade, I was one of two winners in an art contest. I drew a swan. There was a lot of pressure on me to succeed academically. I was emotionally lost in my early college years, conflicted between pursuing Visual Arts and standard academia. It was my mother who encouraged me to apply to Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD).
MIXD: Who were the mentors who inspired you during your early years as a creative?
MC: My mentor at MCAD was the internationally renowned sculptor Siah Armajani. He emphasized the study of literature, politics, poetry, science and other areas as a foundation for our artwork. It was the early ’70s, and Conceptual Art was coming to the forefront, focusing on the “idea” as the jumping off point for creating art.
My mentor at MCAD was the internationally renowned sculptor Siah Armajani. He emphasized the study of literature, politics, poetry, science and other areas as a foundation for our artwork. It was the early ’70s, and Conceptual Art was coming to the forefront, focusing on the “idea” as the jumping off point for creating art.
MARGARET CORRELL
MIXD: You are a multidisciplinary artist working with collage, printmaking, oil painting and other mediums. Which medium are you currently drawn to most?
MC: I’ve been experimenting with distressed pieces of wood with joinery, acrylic paint and collage. Working with wood harkens back to the sculpture I did in Graduate School at Otis College of Art & Design and the Independent Study Fellowship I received from the Whitney. I constructed large, life-size structures within which one could sit.
MIXD: Your work often emphasizes the importance of mental health. How do you convey this through your art?
MC: I have struggled with anxiety and depression all my life. When I’m working on my art, I can feel (usually) a lift in my mood. Even at those times when I feel like I’m walking through cement in my depression, if I take a small step with my art, I feel relief. And if I can share the release and comfort art-making gives, that’s fulfilling for me, as well.
When I’m working on my art, I can feel (usually) a lift in my mood. Even at those times when I feel like I’m walking through cement in my depression, if I take a small step with my art, I feel relief. And if I can share the release and comfort art-making gives, that’s fulfilling for me, as well.
MARGARET CORRELL
Special thank you to Margaret for sharing her practice with us! You can learn even more about her HERE and shop her works at MIXD Gallery.
Article Credits
Interview Questions, Gala Reneaum Tello; Intro Copy and Final Edit, Nicole Boddington; Artwork, Margaret Correll.