MARIE SALINGER
MARIE SALINGER
PAINTER
Beechworth, Australia
Marie welcomed me into her world… no, let me step back a bit… even before that, she organised my trip to Beechworth as if I was the Queen of Sheba. She scratched the plan of having me at her place, which is the classic situation when I visit an artist outside Sydney. I stay in the guest room, which I absolutely love. But Marie found that her house was a bit too far from the studio. She preferred to book a gold rush era heaven for Wendell and me on Valentine's weekend.
Photos I took that day…
On the balcony, right opposite the pub, I felt as if I'd stepped back in time, into one of my childhood Western comics. The pub looked like a saloon from Lucky Luke. I was half expecting a drunken cowboy to fly out the door, propelled by a well-trained fist. There was none of that in main street Beechworth when Marie and her husband Tom met us downstairs to take us for dinner at The Old Nick.
It's always a big leap for artists to decide to invest in themselves and choose a photographer or filmmaker to document their world and build their archives. I think they look at me and wonder if they've made the right choice. I felt a lot of calm certainty in Marie's eyes. A lot of joy in anticipation. Marie has sparkly smiling eyes in a spectacular blue. She was ready for me and I could feel a lot of trust.
Early morning, Wendell and his mountain bike went their way through the tracks of the Victorian High Country. Marie and I met at her studio in an old mental asylum. Strange vibes. A long maze of corridors and a burst of colour and joy. Marie's world. I wired my microphone through her apron and the dance started.
Soon, I noticed a series of very dark works, completely black in fact, in a small part of the studio. Very different from the splashes of yellow, orange and happy blue elsewhere. After a little while, Marie told me the story of these black works and the terribly sad origin story of her work. I will let her say it in her own words in the interview below. (More to come in the filmed part of our work together)
INTERVIEW
ORIGIN & IDENTITY
What's the story of your name?
My Australian mother wanted to name me Bernadette but my Irish father preferred the name Marie so they settled on Marie Bernadette.
Where were you born, and where do you live now?
I was born in Dublin, Ireland and immigrated to Australia when I was 16 with my whole family (Mum, Dad and their six kids). I now live in Wangaratta in North East Victoria.
What language do you speak at home? What other languages do you speak?
I speak English at home and unfortunately do not speak any other languages.
As a child, did you know you wanted to do this work?
Yes from as early as I can remember I was always drawing, painting and making things. My mother was a dressmaker so I grew up watching her create beautiful outfits for her six children and my dad was a builder so I was surrounded by plans and architectural drawings. I can still remember my dad teaching me to draw a house in perspective when I was about 6 years old. Art has always been front and centre in my life and I am so grateful for this gift.
CRAFT & PRACTICE
Please describe what you do.
I'm a visual artist. My art practice focuses primarily on painting but also incorporates printmaking, collage and photography.
What do you love to do so much that it makes you lose all sense of time and place?
I love to get to the studio early in the day and to begin painting as soon as possible. Once the colours start to flow onto the canvas I get lost in the work and the hours just pass by. At the end of the day I usually photograph the works in progress and leave everything set up ready to get straight back into the work the following day.
What was your big break — the moment that changed everything for your practice?
I think establishing my studio at Mayday Hills in Beechworth in 2018 has had a major impact on my work. The quality of the light that streams through the beautiful old arched windows is so evocative and changes throughout the days and the seasons. This light has been a huge influence on the works I have created in the space and continues to inspire me each day. The studio also allows me to create large scale works which has been transformative for my practice. I really love working on large canvases and getting lost in the layers, textures and colours.
What's the most difficult hurdle you've overcome in your work?
Learning to trust my intuition and to be courageous. I find the whole process of creating work to be quite magical and often feel that my works come from somewhere just beyond the veil. Creating my artworks has helped me heal after a devastating loss and when I look at my finished works I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the creative process.
What does a perfect working day look like for you?
Arriving at the studio at about 7.30am, starting with a small ritual of lighting a candle, consulting my Irish Sheela cards for guidance, sitting quietly with a coffee in front of the works in progress. Working intuitively I choose which colours to mix up and then start applying the next layers of paint. I love working with glazes and enjoy the challenge of placing colour next to colour to evoke a feeling or memory. I often work on multiple canvases and will continue painting till late in the afternoon stopping for lunch and a cuppa along the way. If I feel that I need to take a break from painting I will move to my printmaking table and will work on some prints using natural materials usually sourced from the beautiful gardens right outside my studio.
If you could master one skill outside your craft, what would it be?
I wish I could play a musical instrument.
INFLUENCES & MASTERS
What artwork, object, or piece of craft had the most impact on you?
Guernica by Pablo Picasso touched me deeply and sadly continues to reflect the suffering and chaos caused by violence in our world today.
Name the absolute master of your craft.
So many but I love the work of Helen Frankenthaler and David Hockney.
Name an emerging artist or maker you're excited about right now.
Mat Vaughan, a visual artist living in the Alpine village of Wandiligong.
Who taught you something essential that you still carry with you?
While studying Art at Melbourne State College in the 1980s I was incredibly lucky to complete my Professional Practice with the Australian artist Roger Kemp at his studio in Blackrock. Roger exemplified the importance of showing up to the studio and getting work done. His resilience, passion and dedication was extraordinary and despite health challenges at that time his large scale paintings were exuberant and full of life. Roger's symbols and forms floated in harmony in an expansive lightness and his incredible work has had a lasting impact on my own art practice. Most importantly what I still carry with me is the importance of being in the studio on a regular basis and consistently engaging in the creative process.
VALUES, FEARS & PERSONALITY
What are your three most important values?
Love
Family
Kindness
What is your favourite word, and why?
My favourite word is Solas, the Gaelic word for light, the agent that illuminates and makes visible all that we see. In my works light is notable for both its presence and absence. Some paintings seem to burst with light, while in other works light is only evident in glimmers. This variation signifies moments of joy, times of profound grief, and the space in between where complex human emotions exist side by side – a liminal space of great interest to me.
What is your greatest fear?
I have always been afraid of losing those that I love dearly. From early childhood to the present day this fear is a constant companion.
What do you most value in your friends?
Empathy and kindness
QUIRKS & TREASURES
What is the most extravagant thing you've done?
Travelling to Paris in 2025 to visit the exhibition David Hockney 25 at The Fondation Louis Vuitton. An extraordinary exhibition and deeply moving experience.
Is there anything you collect?
My studio is full of things that I have collected along the way which inspire me and bring me joy. A feather, a nest that has fallen from a tree, an Autumn leaf or a piece of old bark inscribed with the carvings of scribbly gum moths. I never cease to be amazed by the beauty of nature all around us.
What is your most treasured possession, and why?
I have many but a really special one is my easel which was a 21st birthday present from my parents. It has travelled far and wide and is still working beautifully.
What sound or noise do you love?Birdsong especially Eastern Rosellas and Black Cockatoos
What's a small luxury you couldn't live without?
Perfume
TASTES & CULTURE
What's your favourite dish?
Sushi
Latest book you loved.
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Latest film that made you love cinema all over again.
At Eternity’s Gate
Latest TV show you binged on.
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
What music are you listening to right now?
I always have music playing in the studio and usually choose something that is evocative of the emotions I am exploring in my paintings at that time. I am currently listening to Microdoses by Ai Yamamoto and Dan West, Eleanor Jawurlngali’s latest self titled album, Cookin on Three Burners, Ruth Haazelton’s Heronbones and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
FUTURE & DREAMS
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Italy
Tell me about your most exciting current or dream project.
I'm currently preparing for a return visit to The Museum of Loss and Renewal in Collemacchia, Italy to undertake a 5 week artist residency.
What do you hope your work will be remembered for?
My paintings invite the viewer to respond and to connect with the inherent emotions, memories, thoughts and feelings that are woven into the surface of the artwork. My wish is that my paintings will provide the viewer with an insight into the incredible power of art and nature to offer solace,hope and healing in times of darkness and despair.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
Mona, my beloved youngest child who passed away in 2018. I miss them everyday.
Discover More…
Latest Films Gallery
instagram showcase
Painter
Beechworth, VIC, Australia