In the Studio with Artist Becky Borlan
Today, we’re going In the Studio with artist Becky Borlan. Her sculptures can be seen througout Baltimore and DC. Becky will be joining us September 27, for our Maryland Maker Meet-Up.
Becky Borlan is a Baltimore-based public artist known for her large-scale installations that use light and color to inspire wonder and playfulness. She approaches her art with childlike curiosity, experimenting with various materials and color theory to create vibrant and whimsical works. With a background in public art dating back to 2009, including collaborations with artists like Janet Echelman and Steven Weitzman, she has developed a passion for large-scale sculptures and suspended artworks
Becky has contributed her artistic talents to projects for DC Public Schools, the Baltimore Office of Promotion and Arts, and the Hyattsville CDC. Currently, she is involved in crafting a playground sculpture for Jake Rusher Park in Asheville, NC. Her public sculptures are designed as visual puzzles, encouraging viewers to pause, explore, and engage in play. They strike a balance between order and chaos, drawing viewers into a colorful and whimsical world. Her work draws inspiration from sources such as stained glass, color theory, and geometric abstraction, all aimed at tapping into the joy that play can bring to people's lives. Using a variety of materials, she assembles simple modular forms to create intricate visual experiences that appeal to people of all ages.
Here’s Becky talking about her art, process and experience…
When did you start creating art? Was there an event that led you to this?
As a kid I was big into building tree forts. I would make these little shelters from branches and leaves. I would play in them for awhile but soon I would decide that they needed some kind of upgrade and start building again. I also loved drawing and painting and the type of crafts you do in school, but I think it was this self-directed desire to create these “forts” -to play with space- that really foreshadowed what I do now.
What is your studio/creative space like? Or what is your favorite place to create in?
At the beginning of the year, I started renting a studio space at the Crown Industrial Complex in Highlandtown. It’s an old factory that used to make bottlecaps. My studio has tall ceilings and huge (drafty) windows. I love it, it’s my dream space. But a studio can take as many forms as the art itself: I’ve worked in basements, laundry rooms, the kitchen table.
How do you find inspiration?
I think most people who consider themselves artists know that you’re always on the clock, and inspiration can come from anywhere. But if I’m searching for an idea or to be inspired, I go back to my sketchbooks. I like to think that the idea I’m looking for, I’ve already had-I just haven’t connected the dots yet.
What’s your favorite medium to work in? Do you explore others?
I am a serial medium hopper-I’ve done photography, clay, wood, printmaking…but when I started to work with acrylic plastic something clicked. I do painting alongside my sculpture work, but it wasn’t until I started experimenting with plastic that I saw a way to bring the two together. It’s taken a lot of trial and error, but I feel like I’m close to creating a synthesis of sculpture and painting that is really exciting to me.
What artist(s), past or present, have influenced your work the most?
I’ve gone through many different phases where a particular artist’s work really speaks to me. I feel really grateful to have had art teachers who exposed me to artists I might not otherwise have found at a young age. In middle school a teacher introduced me to conceptual art-artists like Duchamp, Josef Beuys, and Robert Rauschenberg. It was really a revelation for my thirteen year old mind, to begin to understand that art went beyond aesthetics, and it inspired me to start exploring other art movements like Pop, Dada and Abstract Expressionism.
What are you working on at the moment?
Currently I’m working on a wall sculpture for the Park School of Baltimore, which is an exploration of combining sculpture and painting that I mentioned earlier. It’s going in their science building which I love because it highlights that what we think of separate disciplines-art and science, can actually be interconnected and provide insight into one another.
To learn more about Becky and her artwork, check her out on instagram, or on her website.
Maryland Maker Meet-up returns this month with special guest artist Becky Borlan!
Ages 16+
Wednesday, September 27 | 6-8 pm
Explore the technical side of creating these larger than life designs
Learn how installations are crafted, hung, and arranged
Gain insights into building a successful art business
Hear strategies for finding clients and effective advertising
Get ready for an art-inspired discussion that ventures beyond the canvas. Bring your questions, ideas, and curiosity! Enjoy refreshments, light snacks, and creative conversations.
