Our Daily Red is pleased to launch an artist-in-residence series titled Inside Out. Every month, a new guest artist will have access to the platform to publish images and jot down thoughts about inspiration, obsession, creative failures and insights. Unlike an 'Open Studio' format which is predicated on potential sales, BR&S wants to provide the artist-in-residence with an outlet to place their practice in a more public realm, offering an expanded look at the creative process and placing emphasis on the time ideas and works take to mature. It is not expected that the artist produce anything finished or specific to BR&S in this time, only that they candidly share their explorations. Each artist will then invite an artist to follow them. The rules of the game specify that the guest must 1. work in a different medium, 2. live elsewhere, 3. write often and not think too much about what they post, 4. be someone whose inside the host artist is curious to see out.
Introducing: SUSAN METRICAN
As Editor, I get first dibs and am starting locally. Susan Metrican hails from Miami, Oklahoma and made her way to Boston via Kansas City, Bangkok, Toronto and NYC. I came across Metrican's work at MassArt in the context of her MFA thesis show. Initially, I responded a lot more to her videos possibly because it's a medium I'm more familiar with than painting. In my mind, her work created a picture of someone smart and playful, very aware of her gestures and decisions but not hampered by that awareness. It felt full of questions and not too preoccupied with dwelling on answers. I'd started my own exploration of flat space and photography at the time and Metrican appeared to be moving through similar territory and finding clues in similar places (ancient art, frescos, compositing and collage): I felt as though we were following parallel lines of inquiry. By the time I met her I'd developed a bit of a crush and bumbled a few words of admiration and curiosity. It turns out she is pretty cool and also hard-working, clever, possessed1 and dedicated to developing a strong curatorial practice alongside her artwork. Currently, she declares an obsession with Ren and Stimpy, MAD Magazine, Thai cowboys, high school, theatrical backdrops and cartoon backgrounds. I can't wait to see what comes out of Susan's head and her studio.
On here, anything goes.
---
[1] one of the 3 things John Baldessari claims a young artist should be.
Above: Susan Metrican, Profondo Yellow, 2010, video, 5:34
susanmetrican.com
Susan Metrican will be BR&S's artist-in-residence from September 30 until Halloween. She will be selecting the next artist for our Inside Out series. All images & videos are courtesy of the artist.
