"So Fresh and So GREEN", interviewed me. Thank you Madam Toussaint !

MARTHALICIA MATARRITA ON BEING AN ARTIST IN THE MILITARY

p l a t o o n [#3] by Jesse Wright

During the holidays my attention turns to those in the military among others. And well, art, music and the environment are always on my mind so I decided to ask my former schoolmate, the incredibly passionate artist Marthalicia Matarrita, a few questions about the unique position of an artist in the military.

She is one of the founders M-Squared Art Productions; a collective grounded in the four elements of hip-hop. M-Squared integrates art and music into the party landscape of New York city with Marthalicia’s specialty in live painting. In this interview she explains how she managed to express herself in the military with her boots.

Madam Toussaint: Please state your branch or the military, your rank and your years of service.

Marthalicia Matarrita: Army National Guard, 91 Bravo Combat Medic. I enlisted on October 1999, and received my HONORABLE DISCHARGE papers on 2005, ending rank: e-4 Specialist. (6 years Active Reserve, and then 2 years inactive for emergency purposes, in case of a home war).

Were you ever in war when you were in the military?
I was called for duty while I was in college in New Paltz, on September 11, 2001 and I was mobilized at my military Unit ground, stationed in Yonkers for three weeks. 342 Forward Support Battalion.

I was activated to join another military medical team on 2004, heading to Iraq: but never left, due to change on my papers and far too many valuable medics and no reserved ones here on U.S. ground.


Were you able to produce art while in the military? Was it encouraged or discouraged?

I remember boot camp, last week of training, where all the hard core physical and mental training past, and the recovery began, I remember the sergeants grouped our platoon together, and made a pow wow on the polished floors of our barracks, as we cleaned our m16’s.

This unique talk or get to know your sergeants/ soldiers day, prompted the sergeants curiosity and he asked around the room, our real reason why we joined the military. Many I have overheard, enlisted for college tuition, as I did. Others enlisted because of the adventure. And a few were there because their parents forced them into it.

It was my turn to reveal my intent and reasoning of wearing these boots, and I told them the following:

I joined because of the G.I. Bill and the ability to help me through college.

“

What is your major in school?” I said “ART”. Many turned and looked at me in a confused way. ART? Doing what with that? Not a lawyer, doctor? banker? etc ART? Young girl you could have done that with out the aid of the military.

The elder sergeants started to laugh and pointed at another soldier and continued to ask around the room. I sat there looking up at him, and feeling laser then I came in. As if the importance of me joining wasn’t valued the same as those that were joining for the above degree.

I didn’t talked about my career after A.I.T (Advance Initial Training), and joined my reservist unit in Yonkers New York. I doodled here and there, but to many it was just that: doodling. We didn’t have enough time of our own or a place to make art.

TIME WAS VALUABLE even for the laid back National Guard unit that I was in. You just can’t do nothing, even if you cleaned the main floors 5 times, you have to do the same floor over and over again. It didn’t made any sense to me, but for them, a soldier not doing something productive was a useless soldier. Art was as equal to the being useless.

“FRIDA OF BROOKLYN” by Alex Bershaw

Because she’s that cool Marthalicia can dress up like legendary artist Frida Khalo in Brooklyn, NY. Check out those boots!”


Do you feel being an artist gave you a different perspective on things while you were in the military?
I am not sure how to answer that because all soldiers had different perspectives and backgrounds, but I have to add, that there was one significant thing that did separate me from the others and it was “style”. ha ha ha.

We were all given regulated military issued clothing. Upon our reservist status and the not so strict commands, I placed it upon myself to buy a new pair of military boots, but the ones I chose were restricted. (They were the green JUNGLE BOOTS that I wore while I was on Ground Zero, and the many art programs as well). I bought them anyway, and wore them at FORMATION. Since then I saw my boots as a symbol of my FREEDOM of choice the freedom of expression by using non military issue uniform into my attire. Weird but true.

Thanks so much Marthalicia. For more on Marthalicia Matarrita check out at marthaliciaart.blogspot.com

January 11, and January 14, 2010. Showing Marthalicia’s art with Lexi Bella the curator, and then a SOLO art show at Fresthetic Brooklyn. Tshirts and prints will be sold.

Marthalicia is working on a documentary about the process through which art is created through Marthalicia and her circle of artist friends.

The documentary is still in process. Part two will be announced soon for those that want to participate. Stay tuned for more on Marthalicia’s “Artist Process” documentary.

Posted: 17 Dec, 2009 |
Categories: FRESH INTERVIEW | Tags: Alex Bershaw, Frida Khalo, Jesse Wright, Marthalicia Matarrita, military | By: Madam Toussaint.
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Painting created for the CMYIC

Titled: " BORN WITH IT " Created On Sunday July.19.09 for a documentary with my best bud Sylvia Ortiz. Awesome Artist ! I was honored by them to be apart of an independent film, collectively with other artist and with my friend Sylvia, for a film that I will show you within weeks from now. I do hope you like them. Below are information about the production and its crew.

The Organization is called: CMIYC Productions:
Catch Me If You Can Productions is an independent film company that focuses on the establishment of up and coming artists in the field of film. We were founded in September, 2008 and throughout the last few months have worked on making our dream of creating a New Housing Complex for artists a realization. We desire to create a space for talented artists struggling to express their art and survived within a city that makes it extremely difficult.CMIYC Website: www.catchmeifyoucanproductions.com Joshua Martinez Creative Director


The Struggle Of The New York Artist:
The Struggle of the New York Artist focuses on the documentation of the individual struggles and obstacles of New York artists as they strive to obtain their dreams and enrich their art. It illustrates the trials and tribulations of artists and their interconnected identities. The film is comprised of visual and digital artists, dancers, actors, actresses, singers, rappers, and other artists whose expression is enriched by their struggle. We do not intend to represent all the struggles of the artist community in New York but give a representation of what some of us must undergo in the hopes of enlightening the masses and forging a connection among each other.

Other Things about CMIYC:
CMIYC Productions is in the process of developing a street team for young talented youth interested in film or artistic expression as a whole, but are in need of funding to make it possible. CMIYC Street Team will focus on the promotion of the company as well as challenging youth to think "outside" of the box by providing them with innovative ways of expressing themselves by offering them courses on digital design, acting, film, and other forms of artistic expression. The Street Team will teach youth about the importance of public speaking and how to promote themselves as well as a project.

Also, we do head shots for up and coming artists needing to find affordable ways to promote themselves (head shots range from $70.00 - $150.00 a shoot). We also offer acting classes for youth interested in pursuing a career in acting.

CMIYC Website:
www.catchmeifyoucanproductions.com

--
Joshua Martinez
Creative Director
Catch Me If You Can Productions
233 Norman Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
www.catchmeifyoucanproductions.com
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising everytime we fall"

Brooklyn Street Art : Interviews me. yay

Below is a link and also a copy of the interview that was done a not so long ago. Thank you Steve.



This is the page:

Brooklyn Street Art
…loves you more every day.Being “Street” and Supporting Independent Women
Posted on | July 10, 2009 |


The pressure of “live” performance sometimes can stress a girl out (Marthalicia and helper) (photo Anthony J. Causi)What makes you “street”? What makes you “hard”?
A lot of street art and graff culture glorifies a kind of toughness that is born of the streets; Yeah Brooklyn We Go Hard! That’s right, we’re down with that. From Rock to Rap to Tech to Funk to hoods to spikes to cans to fire-tags, the right to be rebellious and wreck sh*t feels like a birthright in Brooklyn.
We’re also down with giving back, giving support, sharing your talent. We met a cool street artist/artist named Marthalicia Matarrita recently and she reminded us that these gifts can be shared in a positive way too. She’s a street artist, a graff artist, a fine artist. From her blog you’ll find out she is also “mother, sister, daughter, entrepreneur, community advocate, and former National Guard”. She grew up in Harlem and went to La Guardia High School of Music and Arts in lower Manhattan.

She also spent time homeless and living in shelters. Okay, how “street” do you want it?

These days Marthalicia is doing a lot of live painting with Art Battles, a New York based creation of artist/event thrower/entrepreneur Sean Bono, who produces live art events and competitions to expose emerging artists to the masses. Marthalicia is also performing live art painting tonight in Brooklyn - at Cafe Europa as a celebration of independent women, something she teaches you about in the most gentle way.

Brooklyn Street Art: What kind of art you do?
Marthalicia Matarrita: I paint on canvas with acrylics. I unify the concept of traditional figurative subject matter and those of the comic book/urban graff illustrations (graffiti) to create a conversation about contemporary issues that affect all of us; environmentalism, homelessness, the military, etc.

Brooklyn Street Art: Have you done work on the street?
Marthalicia Matarrita: I used to create images on the street on the Upper West Side and I have a piece currently that I did this spring on the rooftop for a fundraiser at The New School of Design in the Lower East Side. It was such a thrill to know that I was part of something so cool and now I’m a “Rooftop Legend”. So many great artists had the opportunity to BLESS those walls with so much creativity and it humbled me to look at their art.


Marthalicia’s piece on the roof of The New School of Design at Parsons (photo courtesy the artist) Brooklyn Street Art: What has it been like working the Art Battles events and doing live painting with them?

Marthalicia Matarrita: I have been painting live since the spring of 2006. And since then my art has developed well into the theme of live audience and painting in an allotted time. I have been painting at different art functions, shows and events all over New York City and its’ 5 boroughs.

Since early 2008 I have been invited to participate with Art Battles at many art programs. It’s been an incredible experience working with Art Battles and its team. and what I have learned about painting “live” is that time and environment (the audience and music) has made me a more concentrated artist and more focused as an artist. Art Battles also recognizes the struggles of the artist and reimburses and also purchased materials.

See Marthalicia in this Art Battles video from this spring (click the little PLAY button in the lower left of navigation bar):





Brooklyn Street Art: “Do you think you have to be “hard” to be “street”? Marthalicia Matarrita: The street conditions you, even if you do have a soft heart or one hard like a stone.

Brooklyn Street Art: Some street artists feel like they have to destroy to get respect or credibility. Marthalicia Matarrita: Some people say that “most street artist have no siblings so they feel like they need to break stuff to get attention”. Others don’t have the means of an art education such as studio art. Street artists feel the need to express art just as strongly as a studio artist, but they do it without an easel and canvas. For them it’s much better to create images of thought or reflections of life in a cheaper way with cans and use THE WALLS as a canvas.


“I unify the concept of traditional figurative subject matter and those of the comic book/urban graff illustrations (graffiti) to create a conversation about contemporary issues that effect all of us; environmentalism, homelessness, the military, etc.” Atomic, by Marthalicia (image courtesy the artist) Brooklyn Street Art: Can you speak about the July 10th event and what it means to you.
Marthalicia Matarrita: The whole event is a fundraiser and the proceeds go to help a young child named Chanty, who lives in Cambodia. Felecia Cruz is the organizer of the program at her bar, Club Europa. I was called one day by Felecia to ask me to participate in her upcoming show July 10th as a live painter. She described this little girl Chanty, who she met in Cambodia during a recent trip, and she explained how she was determined to help her and her family to send Chanty to school to improve her future. That touched me to know that a stranger from another country was willing to invest her time and energy to genuinely help a young child in great need of education. It convinced me to join in her program and her mission because I wanted to be a part of something good, something that in the end would show a child hope and help her progress. I was given a similar opportunity when I was a young teenager, and I know how important it was to me.

Proceeds from tonight’s benefit will go to Chanty, who appears in the video below :


Brooklyn Street Art: This show is more than just about Chanty, it is about Women’s empowerment. Can you talk about the importance of having strong women today?
Marthalicia Matarrita: As you see, without strong women, you have disrespectful children, who walk around with their pants half off their ass and girls that think more about sex and sneakers then their future. In history woman struggled to have their voices heard.

It’s very important to have events like these to display not only that we are capable of making great achievements as our male counterparts, but also as individuals.


“Frida of Brooklyn” Marthalicia shot by Alex Bershaw (courtesy the artist)Brooklyn Street Art: The Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo, used her personal experiences, including some that were very painful, in her work. Has she affected you as an artist, and how?

Marthalicia Matarrita: Tremendously. I learned painting with oils and acrylic in high school. Most of my paintings were self-portraits. College was the time where I was exposed to her and her works and how amazed I was when I learned about her history. I felt somewhat connected to her because of her personal struggles; I too had some of my very own. The more I learned from her the more I saw my art footsteps evolving, not to copy her style or her intensions but her communication of her life with her art. I do the same with my art.

My life wasn’t a great one. I struggled here and there with poverty, being in the shelter, both parents were alcoholics, and my mom suffered a lot and she became schizophrenic.

My art saved me from dwelling on the negative activities in my environment.

Frida learned in her art to communicate her personal life story with Diego (Rivera) and about WAR. I painted with political themes when I was in the Army National Guard. I was called twice to Iraq and I painted how I felt about being toyed around with…fighting a cause that’s not our own.

Frida showed me that whatever kind of personality you have, art is a tool to show others how similar we all are and how we can help and teach one another.

That’s one of the things I wanted to do with my art in the long run.
*************************************************************************

“Independent Women”, Chanty’s Final Fundraiser, Friday July 10, 2009




An arsenal of female talent coming together to show Chanty and other young girls around the world that they can be whatever they want.

Performances by:
Eyeris with Radio Rose
Bless Roxwell
Jeanette Berry
Linda Laporte
Dama Nilz
Jasmine Solano
Her Virgins
Diva from CYM

Special Guest:Miz Metro
Music By: DJ ILL P


A short film:”Married Girl” by Alexandra Lopez

Live Art and Displays by Marthalicia

Make-up and Design by Lauren Weakly

Club Europa
98 Meserole Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11222

Marthalicia’s Blog

Category: Artists
Tags: Alex Bershaw > > Club Europa > Independent Women > Marthalicia > Marthalicia Matarrita
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