Interview: Mary St George.
Luca Curci talks with Mary St. George during the 11th edition of CONTEMPORARY VENICE, at Palazzo Bembo.

Mary St George grew up in the States. She has degrees in History of Art, Architecture, International Education and applied art. Saint George worked as an architect in the UK and Portugal where she also taught IB Art in international schools. She now teaches art and runs etching workshops in her studio. She exhibits in Portugal, the UK and Italy. Collage and photo transfer are her preferred media. She dyes transparent papers, finds appropriate magazine cuttings, splice and glues them together. Sometimes she draws and paints. She works on paper and canvas. She makes videos inspired by this theme and her short film submission ‘Trespassing’ integrates many of her artworks into it. Saint George’s recent work focuses on the subject of abandoned buildings. With a background in architecture and art, she gravitates to this theme. There is plenty of history and mystery in decaying buildings and gardens. Textures, colours and materials merging into the undergrowth are evocative. Sometimes there is a sense of rebirth on the land. There is also a strong element of imagined narratives and invented landscapes.

Luca Curci - What is art for you?
Mary St George - A drive, a desire, a need to explore an idea until my feelings about it come to some kind of satisfaction using a mixture of media including drawing, painting, collage, photography and video.  

LC – Which subject are you working on?
MSG – Currently “abandoned buildings” as explained in my Statement.

LC – What is the most challenging part about creating your artworks?
MSG – Waiting until the inspiration comes and then “sleeping on it” and working out various ways to explore it until is seems there is one good one.

LC – How do you feel when you see your work completed?
MSG – Sometimes gratified, sometimes delighted, sometimes — whoops this did not work out!

LC – Which art themes do you pursue? What is your preferred subject, if there is any?
MSG – Presently those to do with architecture although I have also enjoyed portraiture. 

LC -How is your creative process?
MSG – It is something that takes time to germinate in the head and then proceeds to sketching various ‘solutions’ until one emerges that is better that the others.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this exhibition? How did it inspire you?
MSG –It is hard to say as I was not present. It seems extremely driven and pulsating.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
MSG – Of course, any exposure on a large scale is bound to help many artists and perhaps create a state of excitement and possibility.

LC – What is your idea about ITSLIQUID GROUP?
MSG – I don’t really have a fixed idea partly as I was not there. I like the energy it seems to generate.

LC – Would you suggest a collaboration with us? What do you think about our services?
MSG – Possibly although the idea of shipping artworks across Europe is daunting.