Martyna Maz, Self, 2022

Hi Martyna! What was your starting point for exploring the theme of What Do People Make of Glasgow?
To me, Glasgow is not so much of a geographical place, as it is a time and space reality where I reside. Therefore, the piece I have selected for this brief showcases an abstraction of Glasgow’s landscape. It’s in the abstraction that the viewer is free to create a personal meaning. My work is open and inviting to individual interpretation. 

Can you walk us through your creative process?

I tend to photograph when I’m not ‘at home’, either physically, mentally or both. As I observe changes taking place with my senses, I tend to travel or do something outside of ‘the comfort zone’, outside of my known identity. The images I take during those times serve me as a blueprint, as pages of a sacred text. Once ‘back home’ I study them and decipher their symbolism. This usually happens intuitively and spontaneously as I make prints of the photographs in the darkroom. With the use of quiet and stillness of the dark space, I tend to open up to the messages that often relate to the images I’m developing and the increase in my consciousness at the time. The links and meanings appear naturally and with the use of my intuition, the vision of a project forms right in front of my eyes. 

How did your artistic journey start?

I do think that the medium is the message, and to me, seeing is very important. I’m still opening up as to why that is so, perhaps childhood experiences of absence of internal needs inspire me to see them in my reality. I believe that everything is connected and that nothing is random, so there will be an explanation. However, I am happy to let it come to me at the right place at the right time, step by step. The fun is in the journey. 

How has your practice changed over time?
I don’t think that my practice has changed, although it’s constantly evolving. It’s more that I understand it more deeply and see how it connects to the whole of life. 

How do you overcome creative blocks?
Perhaps, it’s a bold thing to say, but I don’t believe in creative blocks. I think that life isn’t linear and there are dimensions to our existence that thread throughout our timeline here. Therefore if I don’t feel inspired to create, it’s because I’m resisting a part of me. In this perspective calling to integration, I see choice and divine guidance. 

Who influences you? Which other artists work do you love? 
Minor White’s work has always had an impact on me, albeit quite esoteric and intangible. I use some of his words to remind myself of the feeling I experience while I create. From the contemporary scene, I look up to those artists who have found and are continuously developing their own process, like Susan Derges, Brendan Barry or Klea McKenna. The most inspiring thing under the sun, however, is simply life. Nothing beats that. 

What advice would you give to artists who are just starting out?
The one thing that I continuously remind myself of is – keep doing what you’re doing. It’s not so much about what you practice, who with and to what end, but how it makes you feel as you do it and what you learn about yourself along the way. We are all teachers to one another, whether we know of it or not. Someone out there needs to experience what you have to express. 

Find Martyna at martynamaz.art, or on instagram on @martyna.mazz

Unknown Errors runs at Six Foot Gallery until 19th September 2023.