Meet Mary Brøgger: Sculptor & Designer
I have come up with an axiom for myself that summarizes one of the most important lessons I have learned about my creative endeavor. The axiom is this: “Everything you make is an alter–cation.” That is to say that everything you make is the result of an earnest intent to embody and evoke a mystery. And that by placing this work in the world it automatically stands in direct or sympathetic opposition to all other creative propositions.
Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I think I share a lot more in common with other creative people than possess qualities that set me apart. What excites me, and an untold number of artists, is discovering the strongest and most interesting qualities of a material or technique and then somehow, through an idiosyncratic process, shaping a setting in which those qualities can suggest broader implications either metaphorically or psychologically. I’ve produced myriad works over the decades but only a relative few have really caught long term attention from an audience. So my success, such as it is, is in thanks to a persistent drive that continues to forage for new ideas and materials while full well knowing that you win some, you lose some in terms of recognition. Timing and luck have a lot more to do with it then most people recognize. And maintaining a drive through it all is far from easy. What do I want the world to know about me? Mostly that I am here and I have a website! Hahaha! The work will speak for itself. It is a diverse body of work including sculpture, furniture, light fixtures and fashion design. When I was a kid I dreamed of having a studio in the back of a storefront which featured anything I felt like making that day or week. And that people would come just to see what new thing I was up to. It kind of worked out that way but without quite as much overhead thanks to the internet.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love having guests come visit but I’m certain I could not be a travel guide for an entire week. But a (post Covid) itinerary would certainly begin with a morning hike up one of the south facing trails of Griffith Park that look out over the city- just to get a lay of the land. Afterwards I would take them to Viet Noodle Bar for an “off menu” mushroom omelette with extra carrot/jicama slaw. There would be museums and galleries to visit: MOCA, LACMA, Hauser and Wirth, Regen Projects, The Getty, The Pit, Various Small Fires, Night Gallery. Secret beach spots followed by Oysters and Bloody Mary’s at Blue Plate Oysterette. I like to cook for my guests so there would be dinners on my deck with a panoramic view of the sunset. Though at some point we would have to have dinner at Lucques on Melrose. As a farewell, and if the timing is right I would guide them on a moonlit night hike in the Angeles mountains to a spot overlooking the glittering city to dine and dwell on its beauty.
