Artist Statement
Memento Rosas provokes contemplation on the effects of industrialization of our natural world, calling into question for some the sustainability and ethics of our modern society. This motivation aligns with the work of Atlanta Beltline, Inc. in its efforts to transform and revitalize industrial corridors within the urban landscape. In a lighter and more adventurous sense, this sculpture also provides viewers with a genuine curiosity of form and composition. Being based on a rose plant, the sculpture will be widely familiar to most at a certain level, but the strangeness of its scale and materials offer a view into biological systems and invoke marvel at a potentially alien natural species, striking a metaphor for the concepts of transplantation and the ability for us all to adapt to challenges.
Artist Bio
Andrew Marsh makes beautiful and terrifying art to celebrate life in the face of severe chronic pain. He combines brutal performances with cast iron, welded steel, and chainsaw carved wood sculptures at Lucky 7 Arts, his studio in Louisville, KY. These dynamic sculptures and performances offer a sobering nod to the balance between overwhelming desire and intractable suffering, creations in effigy, and discovery through loss. He was artist in residence at City Museum in St. Louis after earning his MFA at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (‘01) and BFA at the University of Kentucky (‘95). His work has appeared in over 250 group and solo exhibitions, collections, and events throughout the United States and United Kingdom. Marsh is assistant director for Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research and program officer for the Leigh Ann Conn Prize for Renewable Energy at the University of Louisville. He serves as chair of the board of directors and executive officer for Josephine Sculpture Park, a contributing artist at Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum, and co-chair for the 2017 and 2019 National Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art & Practices.
Ev. Feral Fagiola is an Atlanta based artist who explores fetish and materiality in her work. She received her BFA in Sculpture from Kennesaw State University (‘16) where MARSH & FAGIOLA, Memento Rosas, Art on the Atlanta Beltline 2017 2 she focused her studies on foundry and fabrication in metal. In addition producing and exhibiting art, she also works professionally creating designs for tattoos, jewelry, and various adornments. She currently works as an artist at DaddyO’s Tattoo A-Go-Go and slings iron on the weekends with Atlanta Metal Arts and the GoatnHammer at the Goat Farm Art Center.
Marsh & Fagiola have worked collaboratively since early 2016. Their expertise in welded metal fabrication, forged metal manipulation, cast iron processes, and chainsaw woodcarving has given rise to visually stunning sculptures, performances, and installations. Their collaborative works blend the sensuality of nature and brutality of industrial materials with reflections on tragedy and mortality.