Margaret Scoppa

About Me:  2018

Unless I have touched something, I have not seen it.

My hands and mind pulse to create, whether it’s paper, paint, wax, metal, wire, found objects or wood.  I surround myself with a disparate collection of things; some are whole, some are fragments, some are deconstructed elements from another life.  Sorted boxes of discarded rusted metal, old tools, hardware, wood, wheels, fish hooks, and toy parts line the walls.  Most people would think of this as just plain junk.  The mining, collecting, and sorting of materials is an essential part of my process.  I see them all in their purest and simplest form.  My work is always about the material.

My pieces are created from a thing that becomes an obsession.

An object can be in my studio for years, until suddenly it is the focus of my attention.  What ignites and energizes me are the shape, color, texture and the way a material feels in my hands.  The process can be spontaneous and problem solving all at once.  At times, I spend many hours on something that just does not come together, and I take it apart or paint over it.  Doing so reveals a new idea, and I get lost in the process.  Often they have an odd sense of humor, and I am amused by what happens.  They are deeply familiar and yet utterly strange.  Solving these puzzles give me great joy.

In the end, something has a new life.

My studio is a playground for my imagination.  I love how some things just work.