Interview of Mieke Marple by Freya Bennett
Hi Mieke! Before we dive into your work, what’s something that made you smile today?
This meme by @visualartspassage about art parents having an art kid. It recycles a clip by Tim and Eric with them painted gold and praising a person ½ their size dressed as a space werewolf as he spins around, arms up, on a revolving pedestal. Sort of hard to explain, but it captures the borderline unhealthy tendency to see your kid as your greatest artwork.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.
I grew up in the 90s/Y2K, and I’m from Silicon Valley—which explains a lot of my interests, blind spots, and aesthetic preferences. I went to art school at UCLA, but dove into the business side of art upon graduating. From 2011-16, I was co-owner of Night Gallery—which began as an artist-run space open in the middle of the night and morphed into a serious commercial enterprise, where I attended some of the art world’s most prestigious art fairs. However, at 30, I began to write, which caused me to see how unhappy I was at Night Gallery and leave. I returned to artmaking and have been devoted to that ever since.
Your work has been exhibited internationally and featured in major publications. How has seeing your art reach different audiences shaped your perspective as an artist?
Some of my efforts fit squarely in the high end art world, while others do not. Right now, I’m helping my friend Dan Greaney, a writer at The Simpsons, with his videos for social media. In them, he dresses up like a prophet and predicts Trump’s downfall. It’s not my art, but it’s also not not my art—in that it’s creative and critical and scratches a lot of the same itches that my paintings do even though the videos are Dan’s vision and are intended for a mainstream audience. I’ve also made NFTs, whose audience is largely separate from the art world. I don’t worry about whether something is considered fine art or not. I just make whatever excites me, and try to forget about the rest.
You’ve worn many hats: artist, writer, gallery owner. How do these roles feed into each other creatively?
Some of those roles stem from trial and error. In my 20s, I thought I’d like to be an art dealer. Then when I was a successful one, I realized it didn’t suit me. Others are complementary creative outlets. Whether I’m making paintings or writing, I’m revelling in the joy of making stuff and self-discovery. I also plan to dip my toe into performance because why not? That said, I’m also a mother, a partner, a friend. I do bookkeeping/financial consulting and run an AirBnB for additional revenue. That might sound like a lot, but most people are multi-dimensional like that.
You’ve raised significant funds for causes like Planned Parenthood and Critical Resistance. How does activism influence your art-making process?
Most of my art is not explicitly political, but I’ve found that there are other ways to be an activist, such as through fundraising. In fact, I prefer to be an activist through fundraising than through my art (though sometimes it does leak in)—because I don’t want to put pressure on my art to “change the world.” I want to leave changing the world to the activists and organizations that provide on-the-ground communal care in ways that tangibly make a difference.
Exhibitions like Techno-Healing explore technology, spirituality, and human experience. How do you approach these big themes in your work?
I’m from Silicon Valley. I’ve been in 12-step for over 8 years. And I’m approaching 40—so properly mid-life. Long story short, those themes of technology, spirituality, and human experience chose me. The best way for me to approach them is simply to let ideas emerge without fear. My current project, Live Laugh Lube—which is about social media, collaboration, and clowning—is the closest I’ve come to working with all three themes in equal harmony. I’ve had a lot of doubts and fears about the project along the way. Fears about undervaluing my art by trading it with comedians. Or about the outmodedness of making art about social media when AI is eating the world. But I keep charging ahead, refining my ideas along the way.
Looking ahead, are there new ideas, materials, or collaborations that you’re excited to explore next?
Yes! I’m excited to try performing. I worry that I’ll be bad at it, but that’s not a reason not to try something.
