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Q & A with Susan Hamilton Meier
Ongoing interview series with Ellipsis artists
How have you been coping with this new reality?
I’ve been mostly at home with my family, which has been quite beautiful even amidst an elevated level of anxiety about the world at large. I’ve found myself taking refuge in my artistic practice, allowing that to fill the space that other activities once occupied. My art has also given me a vehicle to express the complex emotions that have arisen during this time.
 
What are some of the most persistent feelings you have experienced during this time?
In the early days of COVID and quarantine, there was a lot of fear and anxiety – so much uncertainty about how to stay healthy, how to keep the kids from climbing the walls, how to order groceries… And then a new layer of anger, sadness and shame with the murder of George Floyd and the spotlight it shone on the profound injustice we have accepted in this country for far too long. That said, I believe that confronting the deepest darkness is how we find a way forward, and I also feel hope, that this spectacularly strange and distressing moment we are living through will spur unprecedented activism and innovation.
How do you see the art world changing in the future
Art always plays an important role when society is in crisis. Artists give voice to shared emotions, initiate the difficult conversations, and shine a light into the darkest corners. Often, the visual language can do this more directly than words, because images speak straight to the heart. So, I envision an elevated importance for the role of the artist socially and politically.

Who are some of the biggest influences in your own work?
When I studied art history in college my concentration was in Medieval Art. I was fascinated by how simplified forms could convey so much information and emotion, and I wrote my thesis on aesthetic relativism, arguing that our modern perception of the Renaissance as the height of artistic perfection is simply a social preference, not an inherent visual truth. Since then, I’ve been captivated by the 20th century minimalists and post-minimalists for much the same reason – the tremendous impact these works can have even with such economy of line, form and color.
 
How did you make the transition from business school, to management consulting job, to art?
The thing is, I don’t think of it as a transition. I was never not an artist. Like most children, I was making art before I could read or walk. Being an artist is a mindset, a way of looking at the world. Artists are simply those of us who never stopped making art, because it’s how we process experience, and it’s a functional necessity, like breathing or eating. I was offered a unique opportunity to have a job and an education that I found intellectually stimulating and was very much aligned with what I explore in my art. A truth about the world is that there are things we control and things we don't. Business strategists help companies make decisions about those things that are in their control in an environment of incomplete information. As an artist, I create environments that are beyond my control using water or mirrors and then establish rules and patterns to bring those environments into visual harmony.
Who is your favorite artist?
Anni Albers is my spirit guide. My other rock stars include Agnes Martin, Eva Hesse and Josef Albers.

What is your favorite city to visit?
Since I live in New York City, I typically prefer to visit places in nature rather than cities. There is so much extreme, inexplicable natural beauty on our planet. Exploring those remote and unspoiled places is my passion and inspiration.

Which is your favorite museum?
The Whitney is our go-to favorite. I think they do a phenomenal job of engaging people of all ages and levels of artistic knowledge. I love their art-making room. It’s one of the things I’ve been missing most in quarantine.
 
When you are not creating art, what are you reading or watching to keep your mind occupied?
I love to read fiction and watch movies and series. There’s no better way to relax than getting lost in a story. Lately, however, I’ve been delving more into some timely non-fiction reading, because the call to education feels urgent. I just finished Cornell West’s Race Matters and Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility. I’m currently reading How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram Kendi. For lighter fare, I’m watching the latest season of Billions, and the kids and I are enjoying The Mindy Project.
VIEW ARTWORK
ANGELICA SEMMELBAUER
FOUNDER, ELLIPSIS ART


Angelica is a Private Art Advisor working with a variety of artists and consulting private clients. She is a member of the NYU Alumni Council and ArtTable, the leadership organization for professional women in the visual arts.

angelica@ellipsis-art.com
www.ellipsis-art.com
 
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