Marco Maciel

North Monterey County High School

Junior

My name is Marco Maciel and I am an artist. The expressive liberty of art making helps me convey my emotions and channel a healthy outlet where I can communicate my ideas. The process of creativity is more important to me than the product itself because I can transform my negative thoughts and feelings into something beautiful, which brings me joy and happiness. Unlike more concrete aspects of life, art provides a pathway where there is no right or wrong — embodying unique qualities that connect like minded people through varied interpretations.

When I have a vision for an artwork, I seek to produce a composition that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but makes the viewer look twice to discover the underlying meanings and messages. I enjoy creating works that inspire my viewers and encourage young people to test the artistic waters for themselves. Los Angeles based artist, Josh Hernandez, inspires me through his portraiture and figurative work that range from charcoal to paint and mixed media. What I admire about Hernandez’s style is how he begins very gesture-like, slowly layering materials that collectively morph into something idiosyncratic.

The piece I submitted to the “For The Love of Art” exhibit hosted by Carmel Art Association is titled “Pressures Grip.” When making this artwork, the time quickly ran out, and I acknowledged how it feels to constantly be working under pressure racing to meet endless deadlines, a feeling we have all experienced. This piece represents that even in stressful situations, one can push through the wrath of a pressure grip when being immersed in the process, while still maintaining their vision and drive.

I began this mixed media composition by applying pastels onto a piece of canvas, displaying part of a skull that represents how a person feels under pressure. Following, I sectioned off panels of the wood that I painted with darker shades to showcase the many different directions humans are pulled in at once. Lastly, I wrapped paracord around two wire hands to illustrate the pressure grip that society has on us as human beings.