Features

Longtime SVA faculty member and MFA Illustration as Visual Essay founder and former chair Marshall Arisman, who passed away at the age of 84 last year, was a prolific painter, illustrator, writer and New York-based educator. And while many eulogies were written to honor his huge legacy and influence, Arisman and his seminal works were already so beloved, the weight of his works had already inspired affectionate tributes long before his death. 

One of those celebrations was Unlocking the Creative Self With Marshall Arisman (2023), a documentary portrait about the educator and artist directed by SVA BFA Design faculty member Nada Ray, a filmmaker and interdisciplinary producer.

Unlocking The Creative Self was filmed at the SVA Chelsea Gallery during Arisman’s 45-year retrospective in 2017. Additional footage was shot at his Manhattan studio in March of 2022; Arisman had been participating in the film right up until his passing a month later.

Arisman’s work speaks for itself, but it doesn’t take long to understand why the artist was so adored by his contemporaries, peers and students. As the doc evinces, Arisman was a man of warmth and wisdom, communicating his insight, experience and sagacity in a way that would make you lean in and listen. A raconteur, Arisman was often described as a “master storyteller,” a characteristic that made him the perfect teacher.

Unlocking the Creative Self explores his philosophy of life and the source of his art, offering advice that artists of any discipline can use to inspire their creativity.

While the doc has screened for the SVA community at several events now, Ray is now charting the next chapter of the film, which includes organizing free educational showings at school and educational industry showcases and screening the film further on the upcoming film festival circuit. As she prepares for this next stage, we spoke to her about meeting, knowing and becoming further inspired by a great friend, peer and mentor.

Tell me about first meeting Marshall.

I was taken by Marshall's art and his personality instantly. Not just me, my whole crew, too. After we shot as planned—Marshall was being interviewed for a different project involving his friend and fellow SVA chair Bob Giraldi— it was hard to leave. Instead, we stayed and spent that mesmerizing afternoon in his studio just filming Marshall as he painted a sacred buffalo and the rainbow on the animal's chest. And yes, he spoke in his distinct voice and told us his almost unbelievable true stories.

After that first encounter, in the years to come, Marshall and I worked together on several projects for his MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program at SVA.

What prompted you to make an entire documentary about him?

In the middle of the pandemic in June 2021, the telephone rang. And it was Marshall. He wanted to know if I still have the extensive footage my cameraman and I shot at the SVA Gallery in 2017 during his 45-year retrospective, “Artist’s Journey from Dark to Light.”

Barnstorming over a few cups of homemade espresso in Marshall's kitchen, an idea to create a master class-style video emerged. That was to be Marshall's advice and tool to all artists who are searching for the subject matter for their work. Sadly, by the time the film was halfway through in April 2022, Marshall suddenly passed away. 

What were the key revelations about Marshall and his work?

To summarize that in one line: Marshall could always surprise you. I believe Marshall's greatest talent was an ability to communicate beyond means and ways we the rest of humans do. That gift of connecting with people made him a truly exceptional artist, mentor and friend.

It was fascinating to listen to his stories, and to be exposed to his knowledge of art, energy and spiritualism. After Marshall was gone, just by working on this film, I discovered even more about him. I would spend countless hours editing, and I noticed at the end of the day, late in the night, instead of feeling tired, I felt re-energized. Marshall's presence radiated even off the digital screen, as if he was there in the room.

What do you hope are the audience's biggest key takeaways after watching the documentary?

I believe Marshall's teachings were about how to be and stay in touch with oneself. And I think now more than ever that it is important. We get distracted by the overwhelming amount of truly irrelevant content we receive on daily bases, so we forget to be connected with ourselves. 

What I learned in our conversations and while filming material for the documentary, Marshall's philosophy was to be in touch with all aspects of his human complexity; from the rich heritage of his family's extraordinary experiences, to his observations while living in a small-town America obsessed with guns and violence, to numerous woo-woo moments he had and interactions with psychics and ordinary people alike. As Marshall said in the introduction to the documentary, his art was about recognizing one's fear and making friends with it through visualization. 

What do you think Marshall's greatest legacy will be artistically or on a human level?

Marshall was a “realness commentator” of the world we live in. I spoke with several of Marshall's alums during many filming events. They all shared one thing in common: a deep devotion to Marshall. All of them call him a very special human being. And they say in their emails I received after the documentary premiered, “I miss Marshall every day.” That was fascinating to learn about and yet uniquely Marshall. He had this immense ability to connect with people and animals and then to transfer those connections onto his canvas. 

In our many conversations in the Spring of 2022, we chatted about all kinds of things. I would say, "Marshall, in our film," and he would gently interrupt me. "In your film…” Then I would continue, “I know this is my film, sure. I am directing it. So in our film—” he would cut in again. "It is your film, Nada,” and just laughed in the unique Marshall way we were all so fond of. 

Unlocking the Creative Self with Marshall Arisman is currently available for rental on Vimeo, but Ray has submitted it to many of the fall film festivals and hopes to report back with good news in October. Until then, watch the trailer below for Unlocking the Creative Self.