Visual Artist based in Enfield, NH

Margaret Jacobs, Innovate Grant Winner Spring 2019
Margaret Jacobs
Margaret Jacobs view of work in progress
Studio view of work in progress

 

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

I grew up in a very "hands-on" family so I started making things from a young age and grew up using tools and doing various projects. In college, I studied theater and visual arts and I quickly realized that I wanted to go into a creative field and continue making things. I started welding and using metal in my work after graduation and it was a perfect fit for me. I've been using metal in both my sculpture and jewelry ever since.

 Old Growth (Strawberry) Detail, 2019, steel, dimensions variable, GBH Photography Old Growth (Strawberry) Detail, 2019, steel, dimensions variable, GBH Photography

 

"As a member of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, my culture inspires me to create pieces charged with power, strength, and beauty, and in turn, I believe my work celebrates indigenous culture with a bold, powerful aesthetic."

 

What are you currently working on and where did the inspiration for it come from?

I'm currently working on a series that expands on my Old Growth Series. This body of steel sculptures depict medicinal plants alongside tools associated with early twentieth-century Mohawk Ironworkers. I'm exploring the tension and harmony between forces of nature and forces of man, addressing ideas such as natural cycles of decay and growth. The concepts in this work stem from a fusion of ideas that I’m exploring: Mohawk Ironworkers and their relationship to steel as a material; the fragility and cyclical complexity of decay and growth in nature; and storytelling elements from traditional Mohawk stories.

 Old Growth (Strawberry), 2019, steel, dimensions variable, GBH Photography
Old Growth (Strawberry), 2019, steel, dimensions variable, GBH Photography
 Old Growth (Strawberry), 2019, steel, dimensions variable, GBH Photography Old Growth (Strawberry) Detail, 2019, steel, dimensions variable, GBH Photography

 

Innovation does not only happen in the field of technology — it occurs everyday in an artist's practice. What do you do for inspiration?

I like to go to flea markets and antique malls in order to look at vintage objects for inspiration. I think that looking back as well as looking forward are equally important in both life and art.

Studio view of work in progress
Studio view of work in progress

 

Where do ideas start for you? In the studio or being in the world?

My ideas come from a combination of being in the studio and in the world. Generally, being in the world gives me a starting point in my work and then working in the studio with the different materials helps to further develop and shape the ideas. The imagery and visual narratives in my work come from elements that are important to me personally, familially and culturally. As a member of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, my culture inspires me to create pieces charged with power, strength, and beauty, and in turn, I believe my work celebrates indigenous culture with a bold, powerful aesthetic.

Margaret Jacobs Teaching

 

How do you make your work? Where do you start and how does the process evolve?

I usually sketch after I've finished a body of work; I think it helps me relook at what I'm doing and help understand where I need to go next. Stylistically, I like to work in-between realism and abstraction. I think it gives an opportunity for the viewer to explore and interact with the work in their own way. I've always worked in a more graphic style, even when I was painting and drawing, and I think that style has carried over to my 3-dimensional objects as well.

Margaret Jacobs

 

Many artists live by their creative routines, do you have your own studio ritual? What does that look like for you?

I have periods of studio ritual and then periods where my schedule is much more tumultuous. When I'm pursuing a specific idea or working towards a deadline I'll focus my days on a more targeted schedule. I often work on my sculpture in the morning and then on my jewelry in the afternoon/evening. When I have more free time to explore and think, I'll do other things to gain inspiration that involve being out in the world and not was much in the studio. When I'm in the studio, I generally listen to music or podcasts and try to have a couple different projects going so that I can work on different things if I get stuck on a specific idea.

Who are your biggest influences?

Sandy Skoglund was a pivotal artist for me. Her work connected with me in a unique way and helped give me self-confidence about pieces that I was making at the time that I wasn't quite sure about.

Old Growth Series (Ash) Detail
2019, steel, dimensions variable, GBH Photography
Old Growth Series (Ash) Detail, 2019, steel, dimensions variable, GBH Photography

 

Are there books or films that are an important source of inspiration?

I have so many books and films that are important sources of inspiration that I can't list them all. Words are as much of an inspiration as images and I have certain books that I will continuously re-read to find new inspiration.

How will Innovate Grant contribute to your practice?

The funding from the Innovate Grant comes at a great time and will help me push my next body of work forward by giving me the ability to invest in some much needed tools and materials. I'm incredibly grateful to have been chosen!

Old Growth Series (Plantain)
2019, steel, dimensions variable, GBH Photography
Old Growth Series (Plantain), 2019, steel, dimensions variable, GBH Photography

 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Sometimes the imagery isn't done being made.
 

What is the best advice you would give to other artists?

Don't be afraid to cut something apart if it isn't working!
 

Studio view of work in progress
Studio view of work in progress

 

 
Stay up to date with Margaret Jacobs
Instagram @margaretofsteel
www.margaretjacobs.com