An interview with Sherry Musick
by Rachel Kendall
1. Let's cut to the chase. Why do you do it? Why do you make art?
Why do I make art, there is a simple answer: I HAVE to make art. To me it equates to breathing, something I have to do and really have no control over. Making art keeps me grounded and keeps me sane. Making art is not a choice for me, it just IS.
2. How did it all start for you? Was/is there a particular influence? A specific artist or movement for example?
How did it all start for you? Honestly, I can't remember a time when Ididn't make art.
Was/is there a particular influence? There are several influences in the work I create; things as mundane as inspiration from nature and family to the things we were always told to keep quiet about: religion, politics, mental illness. Nothing is "off-limits" really. Art is my 'voice' and I discovered I have a lot of things to say.
A specific artist or movement for example?That is really tough! I love art history and investigating the 'why' surrounding a particular work of art. Appreciating a work of art in its original context alters many misconceived ideas we have about a particular piece. Many of my pieces hint at antiquity. I have always been fond of the Surrealists, Magritte, Man Ray, Giacometti, and I admire the work of today's Popsurrealists, Mark Ryden and Marion Peck. Their attention to detail and the juxtaposition of elements create a feast for the eyes as well as food for thought.
3. Certainly some of these inspirations are obvious in your work, especially the more Surreal and Dada elements. Not only do you experiment with different styles, you also work with a number of different mediums. Do you have a preference for a particular medium?
I like them all, except for ceramics. Ceramics and I just don't get along. It seems I work in one medium for a while then move on to another. Right now it's assemblage. Soon I'll be back to oil painting--there is nothing like the smell of turpentine and linseed oil! I enjoy the flexibility of working in more than one medium . One goal I have set is to learn to weld, then I can make 'great big metal things.'
