Today we’d like to introduce you to Madelyn Salas.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Madelyn. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Wichita Falls Texas in January of 1994. My family moved to DFW when I was in 7th grade. I got the opportunity to audition to attend a fine arts school going into my junior year. I was focusing on theater at the time. After my junior year I took a heavy interest in visual art. I dropped all of my theater classes and picked up all art classes. From there on out I never stopped. I had an incredible art teacher Mrs. Jacobson; she was tough on me but she taught me so much. I had a difficult time as a student as I struggled with ADD. My art teacher really poured into me and encouraged my artwork. It was very therapeutic and fulfilling for me in a way I hadn’t experienced, I studied different mediums, and loved working in them all. I was mostly painting and doing mixed media, which quickly morphed into mixed media and collage work. It all clicked for me naturally. After I graduated, I started taking a figure painting class at The Modern where I met Tiffany Wolf Smith, who is an educational curator at the museum. Tiffany encouraged me to volunteer with the art camps the museum puts on. Through the camps I met so many artists who inspired and made an impact on my life. One artist in particular is Adam Palmer. His process, style, and vibe really stood out and was special to me. The way music fuels his artwork really resonated with me, as music is a huge part of my work. Adam became like a mentor to me and pushed me to be better and also to post and show my artwork! Without his influence and encouragement, I wouldn’t be where I am with my art today. I really started plugging into the community when I stopped working as a flight attendant in 2018. I started consistently showing and producing.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Any road worth taking in my opinion is not going to be smooth. The struggles I have faced mostly are internal. Self-doubt is something I have battled with since i started. However, I make art because it makes me feel whole. For me that’s always a personal gain. My artwork gives me a visual way to express things that I can’t verbally, and It gives me self-Worth to produce something that didn’t exist before. If something I make can evoke something out of another person that’s an amazing plus.
Please tell us about your work.
In my artwork I use collage elements to create a new narrative from things that already exist. I like to empower figures by putting them in different environments or situations, and create vibes with imagery. Using vintage magazines and advertisements I like to comment on social structures and constructs, romanticizing the past to touch on current issues. I utilize music as fuel for the moods and tones in my work, and most of my titles are song lyrics. Music helps me to further convey emotions, and helps to solidify themes in my art.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
In the future I want to make my collage works larger. I have been wanting to work on a larger scale for a while now, and I’m eager to pursue that. I would also like to continue to try new things and work in new mediums. Another goal of mine is to start collaborating with musicians on album artwork.
Contact Info:
- Website: madelynsalasart.com
- Phone: 8178077071
- Instagram: madelynsalas_art
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