All mashed up: Artists prepare for Mashterpiece exhibition opening

There’s an element of challenge that lies in any creative process. Starting with a blank canvas, so to speak, and making something from nothing is a demanding endeavor in its own right. But what happens when the canvas isn’t blank — when the starting point is a finished work of art?

For the artists in the Mashterpieces series, this challenge is exactly what intrigued them. The exhibition is collaboration between Art Center Sarasota and Goodwill Manatee, in which a group of local artists select donated artwork and attempt to add their own artistic touch, while maintaining the integrity of the original piece.

The artists selected their pieces in November and have been working ever since in preparation for the exhibition, which runs March 13 to April 25 at Art Center Sarasota. We recently caught up with a few of the artists to see how the process has been going.

Janet Mischner:

Tell me about how you chose your pieces:

I usually lean toward the figurative, so with this, I wanted to choose two pieces that were completely devoid of any figures. I wanted to be able to see something in them, and I felt like I could with these two. I saw the three hats right away, but I didn't see the other figure at first. I actually was looking at it upside down, so I had to reconsider my figure. I thought it was funny that the waterlilies painting was sort of a Monet knockoff, so I decided to make it into a Matisse knockoff.

What was your process like?

My work is usually tuned into psychology. I either start with an idea or create a symbol of an idea. With this, I tried to work as closely as I could to an unconscious level until something resonated. It's very different than what I typically do, which is sort of figurative abstraction and a lot of mixed media.

What was this new experience like for you?

It was definitely a new challenge, especially to work with something that was donated and unwanted in a way. It was fun to try to create something of my own and leave the integrity of the original. That was really important to me, so it was a challenge. My biggest fear was that I wouldn't be able to make something out of my selection. As part of my normal process, if something isn't working, I can destroy it and repurpose it into something else — that wasn't an option here. I think it was good to try something without having any idea what the outcome would be and to stray outside my comfort zone.

Meg Pierce:

Tell me about your selection. What about it stood out to you?

I liked the space of it. There was a lot of space. A lot of the selections were dark and very full. This one is also in my palette.

What kind of work do you typically do?

A lot of my work incorporates a minimalist use of fiber and found objects. It's minimalist, but I also really love detail, so it's very structured.

I had heard about this style of art before, and it sounded interesting. I really liked the Goodwill connection because of their involvement with the community. It wasn't something I would normally take on, though. My work isn't all that playful, and I know a lot of these pieces can be very ironic.

How did you come up with your concept?

For some reason, "The Prisoner" just came to me right away. It was a sci-fi television series in the '60s, and the people were stuck in this village. If they tried to escape, this balloon would come and take them away. It was a really scary concept, because they could never get out. For some reason, it just popped into my mind.

What was your process like?

Well, the concept came almost immediately, so it didn't take too long. I added the bubbles, which I decided looked better translucent, and I also changed some of the colors. There was a lot more pink before. There were also a few tears in the canvas, so I patched them and turned them into seagulls.

What was the biggest thing you learned from this experience?

I think I was surprised at how much I liked the end result and how much it reflects my other work. I was happy to do it, and I'm excited to see what everyone else came up with.