Artist Profile: Marta Whistler
Easton Irregular, September 2008
by Dawn Nixon
Neither Marta Whistler nor her paintings are easily dismissed or forgotten. Whistler, an historic Easton resident, is a slender picture of naturally aged beauty, who charms the listener with sharp observations from over half a century's experience in the art world. She speaks passionately of her fascination with the duality of life, of the eternal push and pull of life and death, of joy and sorrow, and of hope and despair. Time and again, these themes are explored in her thoughts and in her art.
Born in Amsterdam, educated in Europe, Canada and Latin America, Whistler has been happily settled in the United States for decades. Taking inspiration from her well traveled life, Whistler's paintings are full of symbolism. While married to her second husband, a native American, Whistler became enamored with and influenced by native American folklore and symbols, incorporating them into her work. Eskimo art, Catholic religious imagery, Mexican folklore, and the bold colors of Hispanic culture all find their way into Whistler's paintings.
"Symbolism is universal," relates Whistler. "Go to Africa, Russia, Mexico, you will find all the same symbols." Throughout Whistler's figurative paintings, these primitive symbols are interspersed: the bird as a symbol of the spirit of man, the egg as life itself, the fish, representing both evolution and Christianity, and the fiery red sun as rebirth and resurrection.
Whistler often paints nudes, both male and female, in a somewhat primitive style that evokes both Matisse and ancient Egyptian art. For her, there is no particular significance to the blue color. "It just appeals to me," she explains. "And blue is a universal color, there is no race, anyone can relate to it." Often Whistler's sense of humor comes into play, as she enjoys painting whimsical berets on her female nudes, just for the fun of it.
The nudes can easily be misinterpreted as sensual but that is not her intent. "It is symbolic, always," she explains.
Whistler's oil paintings, both abstract and figurative, are all untitled. The observer is encouraged to have his or her own unique experience with each piece, and not to be swayed by the title. In fact, the viewer's emotional connection to the paintings is quite important to Whistler. "It is not always the education that makes a connoisseur of art," says Whistler, "It's how does it feel, how does it appeal to you." "We can educate people too much and their imagination disappears," she relates. "For an artist, technique can be taught, but soul you can not teach."
However, Whistler does have her own techniques and preferences. She uses only oil paints, for they take longer to dry and thus make it easier to add to or to change a piece in progress. She draws out her figurative pieces prior to painting. Often, a chance meeting with a stranger whose face interests her will inspire a quick sketch. Later, she will add her signature fearless colors to the piece. Preferring not to paint smiling faces, Whistler feels a grinning subject loses some of his or her inherent character. "True beauty is very shallow," she states. "Character is more important. I don't believe in ugliness. Complete perfection is boring."
Unafraid of the unconventionally beautiful, Whistler understands the appeal of a crooked nose or a lined face. "We are afraid of anything reminding us of suffering, old age and death. Death is part of us, part of the way we are born. Life and death go hand in hand. Of course," she reflects, "death has the upper hand."
Symbols of loss and rebirth float through many of Whistler's paintings, along with the idea of the balance between life and death, between man and woman and between good and evil. "Even Christ was tempted," she acknowledges. "He was human, flawed like us." Such dualities fascinate Whistler. She explores these eternal themes with daring colors and iconic images from throughout the ages. "Art should never be trendy," she professes, "it should be timeless."
Indeed, Whistler's work defies trends or rigid adherence to style. Just as important as her figurative paintings are her elaborately textured abstract paintings. Painted with a palate knife, they are intensely layered beautiful landscapes of color. "Texture can be almost like a tapestry," Whistler marvels.
Such application of texture, as well as her use of bold colors and iconic imagery all contribute to the enduring emotional appeal of Marta Whistler's artwork. The allure of the canvas itself is ever lasting to Whistler. "Oftentimes, I may hear from or see an old acquaintance who says to me, 'Marta, are you still painting?' and I think to myself, why, they might as well have just asked me, 'Marta, are you still breathing?'!"