What We Forgot to Remember: Q&A with Madeline A. Stratton

Madeline A. Stratton was born in 1987 in Memphis, TN. She is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Washington, DC. In 2018, she completed her Multidisciplinary MFA in the Mount Royal School of Art at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), where she received a Merit Scholarship. She holds a MA in History of Art and the Art Market: Modern and Contemporary from Christie’s Education in New York, NY and a BA in Studio Art and History of Art from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Prior to pursuing her MFA, Stratton worked as a museum specialist in the Modern Prints and Drawings Department at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. She also served as the cataloguer for the Prints and Multiples Department at Christie’s in New York. She has exhibited in Nashville, New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. She was 2018 Keyholder Resident at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville, MD, and is currently a member of the Sparkplug collective at DC Arts Center.

What We Forgot to Remember was on view at Hillyer on July 6-28, 2019.

How do the materials you have chosen (paint, textile, threads, printmaking) expand or limit the way you create work that represents your memory? Do these “traditional” materials offer a tangible and accurate physical representation of what you want to convey to viewers?

For a while, I approached these materials as separate parts of my art practice. There were certain qualities of each of the materials, individually, that helped convey certain aspects of memory that I have been exploring. When I began combining these materials in different ways, I found that I could have more depth and layers to the final pieces. I have a strong tie to these materials and memory, especially paint and thread. Like many artists, I was a very creative child, painting and drawing. But I also learned to sew, and reconnecting with the memories of learning that traditional skill is what eventually led to my exploration of the theme of memory in my work.

How has your experience working in art museums impacted your own artistic endeavors?

Working in an auction house setting at Christie’s was a great experience. Every day I was not only handling, examining, and cataloging works of art for my department (prints and multiples), but I was also surrounded by art from other departments. While the workload and schedule was often intense, it was nice to find moments to slow down and actually take the time to look at the art on display. That part of the job was very inspiring. I also gained some practical skills like framing and acquired a greater understanding of the art market side of the art world. The downside was that with the often hectic schedule, I felt drained and felt like I didn’t have time to work on my own art. And the time that I did find, I was scared to experiment in my practice and have those experiments potentially fail – a fear that I have slowly gotten over. Working in a museum setting at the National Gallery of Art was another wonderful chance to be surrounded by so many amazing works of art. I’ll never forget cataloging some of the first watercolors by one of my favorite artists, John Singer Sargent.

You use both 2D and 3D elements in your work. How does the interplay between these elements shape a viewer’s experience? What are feelings or memories you aim to draw out through this contrast?

I like playing with the idea that I am using a 3D space from my memory, portraying it in a flat 2D way, but then moving it back into 3D. I like the play that happens when the 3D element helps activate the physical space that the piece is displayed in as a part of the piece. I like manipulating the perspective and challenging the viewer to recognize that it is a 3D representation of a space, but flattened.

What are you working on next? Do your future projects center around the theme of memory as well?

I am excited to be continuing this trajectory based on the work that is in this show. I am interested in continuing to experiment with the materials I use, and find new ways to combine them. Up next, I will be in a two-person show with Lee Nowell-Wilson at Sense Gallery in DC, curated by Mandy Cooper in August.