"Passport Portrait, Self Portrait" Digital, 2014
Statement
My art practice is inspired by narratives that emerge from the surreal imagery of my dreams and visions. I translate my dreams and visions into figurative works using various mediums and surfaces. I make sketches of inspirations from dreams and visions to develop into paintings. My palette is the bright colors of my dreams. Much of my work aligns with the Pop Surrealism genre. Recurring themes are Goddesses, Mythology, Spirituality, Symbolism, Meditation, Pop Culture, and Science Fiction.
I painted my first surreal dream-inspired painting in 1974. My art teacher, Mrs. Hall, encouraged the exploration of styles and mediums to facilitate the discovery of one's artistic passion. Mrs. Hall was a fantastic mentor and a formative aspect of my art practice as an adult. As part of my artistic journey, I continue to create works of assemblage, paintings, portraiture, and photography.
My art practice is inspired by narratives that emerge from the surreal imagery of my dreams and visions. I translate my dreams and visions into figurative works using various mediums and surfaces. I make sketches of inspirations from dreams and visions to develop into paintings. My palette is the bright colors of my dreams. Much of my work aligns with the Pop Surrealism genre. Recurring themes are Goddesses, Mythology, Spirituality, Symbolism, Meditation, Pop Culture, and Science Fiction.
I painted my first surreal dream-inspired painting in 1974. My art teacher, Mrs. Hall, encouraged the exploration of styles and mediums to facilitate the discovery of one's artistic passion. Mrs. Hall was a fantastic mentor and a formative aspect of my art practice as an adult. As part of my artistic journey, I continue to create works of assemblage, paintings, portraiture, and photography.
"Man With Vision" by Snow Mack
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Acrylic on Canvas approximately 20" x 16", 1974
Frameworks
I began making my frames for my paintings in 1992 as an experiment. I wanted to create frames that were more than they seemed at a glance, an illusion of an ornate frame that upon closer inspection reveals it is made from toys and discards. The frame allows me to express another aspect of my art practice: assemblage. I started by saving toys my children were no longer playing with, collecting them in a toy drawer, a place for all the broken, forgotten, and mislaid toys. I experimented with covering frames with fake fur, faux pearls, jewelry, bottle caps, pieces of wood, and other cast-offs. Over the years, people have generously donated cast-offs to my ever-expanding collection of toys and such. The assemblage process transforms the recognizable objects into something surreal; a whimsical memory of childhood imagination, mysterious travels, and lucid dreams.
I began making my frames for my paintings in 1992 as an experiment. I wanted to create frames that were more than they seemed at a glance, an illusion of an ornate frame that upon closer inspection reveals it is made from toys and discards. The frame allows me to express another aspect of my art practice: assemblage. I started by saving toys my children were no longer playing with, collecting them in a toy drawer, a place for all the broken, forgotten, and mislaid toys. I experimented with covering frames with fake fur, faux pearls, jewelry, bottle caps, pieces of wood, and other cast-offs. Over the years, people have generously donated cast-offs to my ever-expanding collection of toys and such. The assemblage process transforms the recognizable objects into something surreal; a whimsical memory of childhood imagination, mysterious travels, and lucid dreams.
Frame Detail, "Little Rita Lynn"
Biography
Snow Mack, as Martha Snow, was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1958. Snow attended ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, CA where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1981. Snow's work is inspired by her vivid dreams and imagination and incorporates elements of symbology and pop culture.
Snow began exhibiting paintings in the late '80s at La Luz de Jesus and other Los Angeles galleries. In 2011, La Luz de Jesus celebrated its 25th Anniversary with an extensive exhibition and a comprehensive book, "The Little Gallery That Could" by gallery owner Billy Shire. Snow Mack's work was featured in the show and Shire's book, which were considered a who’s who of Lowbrow and Pop Surrealism.
In 2014, Snow's work was featured in an exhibition at the Harwood Museum in Taos, New Mexico. ¡Orale! Kings and Queens of Cool was a four-part exhibition and catalog focused on the Post-Pop art movement.
Snow has exhibited her work in many galleries in Los Angeles and New Mexico. In 2019, Snow's work was included in When Worlds Collide, an exhibit at the Keep Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 2020, her work was included in the juried exhibit The New Vanguard: Explorations in the New Contemporary, also at the Keep Contemporary.
Also in 2020, Snow's work was included in the virtual exhibit, Prayers for the Pandemic, a collection of works inspired by Tibetan Prayer flags, curated by Drawing Rooms in Jersey City, New Jersey. A catalog of the exhibit was published and includes essays by each of the exhibiting artists.
In June 2020, Snow created several signs inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. The works were accepted by the Autry Museum's Collecting Community History Initiative: BLM Protests in the West.
Snow's work is in private collections in the United States and Canada. Snow continues to work in her home studio in Los Angeles and continues to pursue exhibition opportunities.
Snow began exhibiting paintings in the late '80s at La Luz de Jesus and other Los Angeles galleries. In 2011, La Luz de Jesus celebrated its 25th Anniversary with an extensive exhibition and a comprehensive book, "The Little Gallery That Could" by gallery owner Billy Shire. Snow Mack's work was featured in the show and Shire's book, which were considered a who’s who of Lowbrow and Pop Surrealism.
In 2014, Snow's work was featured in an exhibition at the Harwood Museum in Taos, New Mexico. ¡Orale! Kings and Queens of Cool was a four-part exhibition and catalog focused on the Post-Pop art movement.
Snow has exhibited her work in many galleries in Los Angeles and New Mexico. In 2019, Snow's work was included in When Worlds Collide, an exhibit at the Keep Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 2020, her work was included in the juried exhibit The New Vanguard: Explorations in the New Contemporary, also at the Keep Contemporary.
Also in 2020, Snow's work was included in the virtual exhibit, Prayers for the Pandemic, a collection of works inspired by Tibetan Prayer flags, curated by Drawing Rooms in Jersey City, New Jersey. A catalog of the exhibit was published and includes essays by each of the exhibiting artists.
In June 2020, Snow created several signs inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. The works were accepted by the Autry Museum's Collecting Community History Initiative: BLM Protests in the West.
Snow's work is in private collections in the United States and Canada. Snow continues to work in her home studio in Los Angeles and continues to pursue exhibition opportunities.
Collection
Autry Museum's Collecting Community History Initiative: BLM Protests in the West 2020 - 4 Digital works
House of Blues: Boston
Autry Museum's Collecting Community History Initiative: BLM Protests in the West 2020 - 4 Digital works
House of Blues: Boston
Publications
Prayers for the Pandemic by Anne Trauben, Drawing Rooms, published by Victory Hall Press 2020
Mona Lisa Reimagined by Erik Maell published by Goff Books, an imprint of Oro Editions, 2015
¡ÓRALE! The Kings & Queens of Cool; Lowbrow Insurgence: The Rise of Post-Pop Art published by The Harwood Museum, 2014
La Luz de Jesus 25: The Little Gallery That Could published by La Luz de Jesus Press, 2011
Education
ArtCenter College Of Design, Pasadena (CA) BFA 1981
Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore (MD) 1978
University of Maine, Orono (ME) 1977
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence (RI) summer 1976
Prayers for the Pandemic by Anne Trauben, Drawing Rooms, published by Victory Hall Press 2020
Mona Lisa Reimagined by Erik Maell published by Goff Books, an imprint of Oro Editions, 2015
¡ÓRALE! The Kings & Queens of Cool; Lowbrow Insurgence: The Rise of Post-Pop Art published by The Harwood Museum, 2014
La Luz de Jesus 25: The Little Gallery That Could published by La Luz de Jesus Press, 2011
Education
ArtCenter College Of Design, Pasadena (CA) BFA 1981
Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore (MD) 1978
University of Maine, Orono (ME) 1977
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence (RI) summer 1976