Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Luetge.
Madison, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I grew up in Bellville, TX and I graduated with about 160 people. In such a small town, everybody knows everybody and everybody has their place. Most of the time I was just the band geek with a sketchbook. I did not get many chances to formally study art until I was in high school and I was lucky enough to have Janet West there to help hone my skills. She supported me to eventually reaching State at VASE (Visual Art Scholastic Event).
I knew I needed to expand my horizon, so I sought schools that would provide a small university experience and be far enough away from my hometown. I applied to Texas A&M-Commerce, which is about 5 hours away, and spent some time exploring the different mediums they offered before finally settling in painting the second semester of my Junior year. My Intro to Painting class was taught by Michael Odom and he was kind enough to get each student a set of oil paints. After I completed the first assigned painting, I knew it was my calling. After that, I spent most weekend in the studio (both because I loved it and because I had nothing else to do). After three and a half years in Commerce, I graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Art in Studio Art with an Emphasis in Painting. Now, I am completing the Masters of Fine Arts program at the University of Houston and will be graduating in May.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I believe that every person shares in some universal commonality that is deeply rooted within the core of our humanity. In an attempt to pinpoint and reveal that connection, I collect remnants of our lives that reflect our desires and feelings. Our existence can be summed up in what we leave behind, the written word, our expressions and where we choose to place personal value. Each collected element comes from an anonymous source, leaving no chance for personal bias. So, I take these things and convert them into a montage of paintings and assembled found objects to serve as extensions of humanity. These facets confront the construct of memory, greed, internal turmoil, loss and other projected sentiments. Throughout this process of collecting anonymous ephemera, I find that we are not strangers and we never were.
Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
I think the social morale directed towards the field of art can be discouraging. For the artists that continue to pursue a career in the art world, it can be rewarding. The idea that everybody is an artist is a very hard notion to navigate because we have so many more outlets, but it is not always difficult to tell the professional from the amateur. So, whether or not life has become easier or harder for artists depends on the individual. I’m not sure if it’s a regional issue, but the overall stigma of art as a career seems to be the real problem.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My website is MadisonLuetgeArt.com and you can see current and past work. I also post a lot on my Instagram @madison_in_real_life.
Contact Info:
- Website: madisonluetgeart.com
- Email: mluetge@sbcglobal.net
- Instagram: madison_in_real_life
- Facebook: Madison Luetge Art
Image Credit:
The Cherished Lens
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