Today we’d like to introduce you to Mieke Marple.
Hi Mieke, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I moved to LA when I was 18 from Silicon Valley to attend UCLA’s School of Fine Art. After graduating, I dove into the business of art, working at various galleries, before joining Night Gallery as a partner at age 25. The gallery was 600 sq ft. in a strip mall in Lincoln Heights and was painted all black. That gallery took off, and I found myself moving further East every year—Silverlake, Echo Park, Highland Park, Pasadena. Even as I appeared in magazines like W and Elle and traveled the world for the gallery, I felt a growing discontent. At 30, that discontent came home to roost and I abruptly left the gallery and LA. I moved back in with my parents in Silicon Valley, joined a 12-step program, and started writing and making art again. I also started working with kids as a tutor and art teacher. Soon after, I met the man who would become my husband in nearby SF. A year or two later we moved in together, and I assumed we’d spend the rest of our days in the SF Bay Area. Then, the pandemic happened, forcing me to reevaluate my circumstances. Was I happy with how things were? Mostly, I was. Except for one big thing: I missed LA. I missed the heat, the weather, the people, the culture. I missed the opportunities, the action. LA is a city for creatives and, as an aspiring artist, it was where I needed to be. So I moved back in 2021. My husband and I both work from our Silverlake home. My art studio and office are in the garage, along with the washer and dryer. We have an 8 month old daughter and are really very happy.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggles for me are internal. Of course, I experienced sexism and bad behavior in the art world, and these cannot be separated from my internal struggles. But, ultimately, I find that I am the person who holds myself back the most. I question whether I deserve payment or visibility. I question whether I’m serious enough or likable enough. Whether I’m doing enough or doing it wrong. All this self-doubt is exhausting at best and self-sabotaging at worst. I don’t ask for help or draw boundaries. I deplete myself. I become resentful. I flee. I abandoned myself. Or I used to. Between my family, my 12-step community, and lots of better coping tools—including writing and making art—this happens far less often.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in drawing and painting. The last year or so, I’ve fallen in love with airbrushing, which I use to make my paintings appear to glow from within. I also make digital art, often working with visual effects artist Francisco Garcia Nava on projects. With Francisco’s help, I’ve just added an Augmented Reality poem to one of my paintings. That painting is going to be shown in an exhibition I’m curating called “Interreality,” which brings together the traditional and digital art worlds. “Interreality” opens Oct 14 and is located on the ground floor of the Desmond Tower on Wilshire Blvd. It will feature 35 incredible artists who span the digital-to-physical art spectrum, and is probably one of the biggest things I’ve ever worked on.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m currently working on a memoir about my transition from art dealer to artist, which coincided with my bottoming out in Sex and Love Addiction. Among other things, the memoir is a window into the problematic sexual dynamics of the high-end art world. So that’s one. Another surprise is, earlier this year, I joined my second 12-step program: Underearners Anonymous, which has already changed my life. I feel like it could easily be the subject of a second book.
Contact Info:
- Website: miekemarple.com
- Instagram: @miekemarple
- Twitter: @miekemarple
