Marina Kapitanov

Artist Statement

My work creates a conversation between a material’s form and its original function. After being inspired by a night drive or a visit to the junkyard, I consider how today’s fast-paced lifestyle has caused us to overlook the very things that make us go fast: cars. By taking each car part and displaying it separately from its system, I hope the viewer can realize the complexity of each piece and think about how each fits back where it belongs. For example, while a headlight can illuminate what is ahead, a closer look at the body reveals infinite mirrors and distortions that are fascinating to paint. Often, I enhance large-scale pieces with captivating details, like invisible ink or reflective emblems, in order to spark further interest in taking a closer look. As for my sculptures, whether I detach my work after display or permanently install it in a car, I create with the intent of connecting the deconstruction of cars back into my audiences’ daily lives. The inclusion of used objects relating to common problems, specifically car repair, allows anyone, whether they have had to pull over for a flat tire or have helped jumpstart a stranger’s ride, to form a bond with my work. Portraying components otherwise hidden by an exterior hood reveals intricacies crucial for the operation of the vehicles we often take for granted. By painting and sculpting motors and cars, I try to explore the internal reflection I experience on long drives and walks through aisles of machines now only used for their parts. This theme has infinite outlets for work, and I look forward to continue learning more about my everyday drive and myself as I create.