Extra Credit: Nick Marshall

I attended Nick Marshall's talk and exhibition in Wilson Commons on Nov. 27th. My first impressions of his artwork were that they were somewhat simple to make, but after hearing his explanations I became much more intriuged. It seems that he is less concerned with the actual process of creation than with expressing some sort of thematic message. For instance, his bi-chromatic paintings did not take a large amount of skill to create, but Marshall's idea of combining paint titles involving water and sky to create horizons is unique and creative. As a current film student, the most interesting parts of Marshall's talk was when he discussed his college days. He described art classes in college as "a whirlwind of creation," a sentiment I agree with wholeheartedly. It is good practice to make so many projects, but sometimes it is hard to stop and think about one project and make it as good as it can be, as there is always a deadline approaching and another project looming afterwards. After the event, I stayed to discuss the economics of being an artist with Marshall. His advise to me was to network as much as possible. He is not an idealist who believes one will succeed in the art world simply by creating excellent art. He talked about the need to promote oneself, and probably to have another source of income as well. Marshall currently works at the George Eastman House.