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Rob Lee: Welcome to The Truth In This Art. Your source of conversation is joining arts, culture and community. These are stories that matter and I am your host, Rob Lee. Thank you so much for joining me. Today, I'm interviewing a multidisciplinary artist whose work I've been eager to explore for years. She creates powerful paintings, sculptures and installations that reflect personal experiences while resonating with the broader African diaspora.
Her work addresses the weighty realities of childhood for many African American children and children of color, addressing systemic challenges through the use of everyday, often reclaimed materials. Please welcome to the program the great Lex Marie. Welcome to the podcast.
Lex Marie: Thank you for having me. Long time coming.
Rob Lee: Long time coming. I feel like this is the lost tape. It's just like we recorded this album. This is in the past. You can do that whole thing. Thank you for joining the program. Thank you for pulling up. We're in Eaton, DC right now. We're in the studio.
Lex Marie: You're welcome.
Rob Lee: I came down. This is one of those things. I came down from Baltimore, but you came over. I appreciate you making the time. Before we get into the larger topics, I'll start taking your brain about your insights. Yeah, say something like that. I'd love for you to introduce yourself to the listeners and share one of your earliest experiences with art. It can be as making art. It could be appreciated art or something in that lane. So if you will, please.
Lex Marie: I'm Lex Marie and I'm a DC based multi-disciplinary artist working in painting, sculpture, installation, and the whole nine. I've been an artist since I was a child. I could remember. I looked at the questions before I came on here and I asked my mom yesterday. I was like, how did you know that I was going to be an artist? I have two older sisters, so she obviously had something to compare it to. She said that I always colored outside the lines, but with purpose. So it wasn't just messy. I would always add extra materials to my art projects where they're saying color a cat.
And I would add macaroni to it or just something extra to it. So I've always been a very creative kid. I always took a liking to any art around the house, whether it be a painting that's on a mug. I would fixate it on it. And it's always been my thing and I stuck to it.
Rob Lee: I like that. When you have siblings and your parents, you talk to your parents like, hey, so how do you know I was interested in this thing? I haven't asked my parents this, right?
I used to do illustration when I was younger. They would have that story, but they won't have the when did I become interested in recording conversation story and all of that. But it's probably going to go with something like, you'd never stop talking. That's how we knew. You didn't shut up. It's like, oh, okay, cool.
Lex Marie: Thanks, guys. It starts pretty young, I think. I'm already seeing certain things in my seven year old. He's probably going to be this.
Rob Lee: And I do remember though being younger. I used to watch a lot of different Obscura movies and a lot of action movies. My dad would be that blockbusters guy. It's like, yo, I went over here. I got Paul as a Van Damms this week because every action movie is called a Van Damms for some reason.
And then we knew that. I don't know. But my brother and I, we would go to school and maybe this is where it goes. But we would go to school and folks would ask, like, you know, some of our peers would ask, so would you all watch this weekend? And it would be something that we didn't finish watching or we fell asleep on. I would make up a story to finish out what happens. Almost creative here.
Lex Marie: Story teller. Right, story teller. And look at you now. Ten seasons of the pockets. Yes.
Rob Lee: Look, it's a lot. So when we make those transitions, we have the early part where we have the interest, right? But then there's a part where we feel like the official sort of point where it's like, either I'm selling art or I'm making art.
I'm getting a show. And for me and podcasting, I always look at 2009. You know, it was when I got started as a podcaster, buying the equipment, making the investment, having a schedule, and having folks come on. So for you, what was that inclination or that point where it's just like, all right, I'm doing this at this level. Was it a moment? Was it a series of moments that you were informed that art was the thing that you were going to do?
Lex Marie: I'll say it's a series of moments. In college, I went to a university in Maryland and I started off with the concentration in graphic design. Just because during that time, I was told that was the way you make money from art.
Like, that's the only way you can make money was digital art. I didn't enjoy it at all. I was too particular for me. And by my sophomore year, I took my first painting class. I took art classes in high school, but my painting class was my first studio class, meaning it was three hours of just painting. And I completely fell in love. It was therapeutic. It was meditative. And I never felt anything like it. And I felt because I felt that way and because I didn't feel anything that way about anything else that it was for me. How was it going to make money?
It was the question at that point. And it was a long, good 10 years out of college until I think I figured that out. I think a pivotal moment for me was 2021, my first solo exhibition, which is crazy to think. It was only four years ago.
I was, it was an alignment thing. I was given a space, huge building for three months for free to have a series of artworks up here in D.C. I made a series of work about my sisters and I when we were children. And everything just aligned in that moment. And I'm like, wow, someone believed in me enough to give me this space one. I was disciplined enough to create the work. And I didn't know what I was doing. I had no, it was child and era.
I had no mentor, no example. I was just looking at other artists and seeing what they were doing. I'm like, okay, time to make a body of work and show it. And I did. It was well received and everything's in, you know, things that happen.
Rob Lee: I love that. I love it. And that is a good point that you pointed out when someone has sort of that confidence in you. You have that sort of breakthrough moment, if you will. You know, when in doing this, it's 800 plus episodes at this point, but that first year was 2019.
I barely could get 20 in. Just, what are you doing? Who do you want to talk to? And I was like, trust me, trust me, it's a real thing.
I'm a real person. And in part, when 2020 came around, and maybe mid year or something along those lines, but folks are around, but still getting more interviews, but still not quite sure, right? And doing more of it and already having 10 plus years as a podcaster there, but usually kind of doing haphazard movie reviews and discussing pop culture. And I did an interview with Rebecca Hofberger from the American Vision Arts Museum in Baltimore. And she gasped me up. And she's like, why aren't you more famous?
What do we do? Why aren't you our pop culture representative? Because that used to be a question I would ask in the pod. And I'm like, someone who is a legend and the museum was at 25 years at that point.
And it's sort of the ethos there of breaking the rules. Anyone who's an artist, you know, if you have sort of these different traits, but anyone can be an artist. And there's something about someone who is around that, who has this sort of track record and kind of respecting what one is doing or what the attempt is. I was like, yeah, this is a cool conversation, but this is a cool sort of notification that you're doing something of merit.
Lex Marie: Exactly. I've definitely had some experience about that. It could be as simple as a follow from an artist that I admire. And I'm like, yeah, people are talking about me, you know, people are looking at my work. And I mean, we're not supposed to think about, like, you know, who's saying what, but it's a little boost of confidence for sure.
Rob Lee: And we're humans, you know, that's the thing. Like, there's so many things we're told you shouldn't do, you shouldn't care about. And there's like, my name is in history right now. And, you know, having even here, by virtue of being here, I do a thing.
And the folks that, you know, are here at Eaton, like, do you want to come down and do some interviews or even someone such as yourself saying, hey, I would love to do your podcast and coming on. Those are all those markers, like you're doing good work and people recognize it.
Lex Marie: Yeah, they could let you know you're on the right path, you know, it helps for sure.
Rob Lee: And as an Aquarius always say, I'm just riding this wave. Yeah. So, let's go back to the art a little bit and could you describe, if you go, your sort of overall creative process, you know, this is, you know, this thing where when I'm bringing this together, I will, you know, have a gasket book and I'm like, hey, provide me these pieces of information. And then I go through a process of building questions and iterating those questions over and over again to get something that feels good, but ultimately I don't have a problem with the banding as I go along, but that process is pretty much the same.
It's gotten better over time, but pretty much the same. So, could you talk about your process from that initial idea, like for me as the booking, right? That initial idea to the selection of materials, to the actual creation of work and maybe even the marketing and sort of all of that stuff, but give us the full sort of, you know, rundown.
Lex Marie: Yeah. Also because of the work that I do currently, which is more conceptual and the sculptures and how nine and I work with very non-traditional materials, whether it be school supplies, I often use my son's uniforms and his costumes and pajamas, things lying around the house, things I'm familiar with. And in that regard, I look at materials a lot.
I can look at the table and like, oh, I can, you know, my name in it and it's like reminds you of school. And so I'll spend time with materials and sometimes the material comes first and the idea comes second. And sometimes the idea comes first and the material comes second, whether it be something that I, it's all my heart, an issue that I see my son dealing with.
And then I think what's the best material to get this point across to an audience. So I enjoy it either way. Sometimes I have like, I'll have a parachute from PE. It was sitting in my studio for like two years and I had no idea what I'm going to do with this. I just keep looking at it every time I'm in my studio and eventually a click to me like of how to use it. And so I guess I'm a quick thinker and sometimes I want to get this idea out so fast that I just create it. And I'm like, I don't know what I'm doing with this piece. It just comes together and then how does it get to a show? It could be, you know, a curator.
It could be a gallerist who reached out and had that piece specifically speak to them. And that's kind of how it gets to that process. And I pretty much share most of the work that I make. Like I'm not really intimidated to share the work because once I like, and finished with it, by the time I feel like I'm fully finished with it, I'm confident enough to share it with the public and see how it is perceived. So yeah, I think it's a pretty straight forward process.
Rob Lee: So when at times the themes having more of a personal sort of connection, like what is that? Now I'm going free jazz right now. Where does that, and I call it maybe courage to create comes from and putting it out there. Because, you know, I do these, it's rare that it's an interview that didn't go up, but some of these run it back interviews I've done this, this, this season is like, all right, Robbie wasn't a particularly good interviewer then. And I still put it out there, you know, because it's important and so on. And it takes consideration into a degree in courage. And I take a degree of responsibility in having folks show themselves or speak in their best way or what have you about their work and about how they go about things. So for you, and you know, working and putting in the work from one, but also sort of the themes that go in. Where does that courage come from? I'm going to get this on off real quick.
Lex Marie: I don't always know who's going to hit, right? What a hit for me, right? And that's what really matters is me getting these pressing issues out that I think are super relevant to today's time. A lot of my work is archiving moments and capturing, you know, my true feelings about things that I'm dealing with, that my son's dealing with, and my practice changed drastically seven years ago when I had him.
I mean, my life changed, but particularly my practice. I really felt like my story was important, important enough to tell a price to that. I did a lot of commission work. I was just good at art. I was good at looking at something and creating it. But when I became a mother is when I felt like my story was important enough and something else to me.
I didn't know how many people would relate to that. And, you know, I'm painting my son and, you know, people aren't seeing just a mother painting her son. Though they see that, they'll see themselves in the painting.
They'll see their son, their brother, you know, in the painting. And when I started getting that feedback, it kind of drove me to continue to create that type of work.
Rob Lee: That's good. That's good. It's one of those things where you have a moment in it. It's sort of your own breakthrough. Like, oh, I know who I am now, or I know who I'm here at this stage in my life. And, you know, go back through and look at all of these years I've been podcasting and some of the earlier stuff is like, you were 24 and dumb.
And now it's like, you're not 24 and dumb anymore. And or even through the lifespan of the truth in a sorry, it's just like these questions. And, you know, again, in revisiting folks, just like this is more insightful than this question would have been earlier on. And part of it is sort of the time invested, the, what do you call it, the reps, you know, you're like in exercise days, what have you. It's sort of the reps is sort of being around it makes it, you know, that much more, I guess, thicker has a bit more depth to it. Great.
Definitely agree. So addressing sort of the, because what I see, adult vacation biases, systemic challenges and sort of these way to your issues. And we tend to grow up earlier. I know that I did, you know, like, I'm six four.
And I remember just, you know, you can't go trick or treating. Are you just a large black kid or have you and just like, but I'm still a kid and having to don't do things early. I know that, you know, that's more of a bit than, but it's reality is more of a bit than the real things that some people have to do being a almost apparent to their younger siblings and things or having to work early and things of that nature. It's almost this, this push to mature earlier and be an adult earlier. So what are your thoughts around sort of that theme? Because I see that as a theme of interest and a theme of conversation for you. Yeah.
Lex Marie: So, like I said, my son's seven, right? And not until like, that's a couple of years ago that I began noticing little biases against him already as a child, right? And I can't help but to feel impacted quite differently when I see certain things happen on the news to young black boys to me, right? That was one that really, you know, just means to my core.
And I think I will be doing myself and others of the service to not combine my feelings and thoughts as a mother to a young black boy in America and as an artist. It kind of just naturally came together, authentically came together because I just noticed certain experiences and I felt so deeply about these things. And when I became a mom, it made me think about the differences between my childhood and his childhood and the stark differences of the 90s and 2025. You know, it's a big difference.
And I want to put these conversations in rooms that the conversations are not being had in. I don't think that children and things that they're going through are being talked about enough. Not in the art world, not in any world. I think things are just kind of being accepted by the vast majority just because that's what the government says is, you know, what it's going to be, whether that be what's happening in education, healthcare system, etc. These are things that are directly impacting me and I have like big feelings about that. So I'm putting it out there.
Rob Lee: No, the feelings are important and thank you for that because, you know, I never shied away from it and there have been instances and I'll share it with you in a moment. There have been instances where I was told not to mention it, you know, but this podcast started, you know, as a response to Trump and ideas like that of Baltimore just a city filled with rats. And I was like, I think it's more than that here.
Lex Marie: It's a wild thing and that's, you know, a first term, you know what I mean? And, you know, there have been times where folks have asked me to share the story of the truth in this art and would inspire me and that's right there. That's at the beginning of it. Yeah, well, can you take that part out and give a more sanitized thing and it goes to, we want something that's a bit more palatable. And I was like, no, I believe in having the authentic conversation, the authentic story because,
Rob Lee: you know, ultimately what over the years this podcast and if this work has become is archival, capturing moments in time, capturing folks' stories in the most authentic way. I was re-listening to an interview this morning that I did the last time I was down here and the artist I was talking to was like, yeah, man, I wasn't getting any rest. I felt like I was on crack, man.
Can I say crack? I was like, you can say whatever you want. And I mean that in almost every interview that I do, just folks just get comfortable in there saying sort of their truth and I don't frame it in sort of that language. But really the goal is to be authentic and sometimes one's experience and one's the experience that they're around isn't the squeaky clean sanitized thing.
Exactly. And especially in some of these like the cities, so like, you know, I was sharing a little bit earlier before we got started that you know, I spent some time in Austin. So I've also been in New Orleans for interviews, also been to Philly, also been down here and, you know, talking to the folks that I'm interested in talking to. They're sharing the real. They're not giving you sort of this clean sanitized thing or even the, I joke in the interviews, don't give me the artist statement. Give me who you really are. That's a different way. Give me the burner account version of you.
Lex Marie: That's definitely true. No, there's a lot of censorship in the arts for sure. And I've seen it through the work that I create now. And luckily I have some, you know, gallery tool fight for me in that regard. You know, there'll be certain galleries are like, no, we can't show this piece, but we'll show this piece. Right. And I kind of, maybe I'll always show me. But why are you, you know, this ring what I'm trying to say, you know, stuff.
Rob Lee: So in that vein, again, for each other, in that vein, do you have like non negotiables, right? As an artist, as a creative, you know, I've had a few, the moment where it feels like, hey, Rob, you know, put on this, you know, this tuxedo and like flap around and see these weird things that just don't really align with. Anything that you've done beforehand, because this is a cool opportunity for you, or this is an exposure opportunity, or your art look real for your podcast is not really good in front of these folks. Do you have those non negotiables that you're like, opportunities cool? Not for me though.
Lex Marie: Yeah, I definitely have opportunities that I, you know, pass on. I think because I don't, and I think, I think my work comes off quite authentic. So I don't water down the work that either they're just not going to reach out to me if they don't want to.
You know, I think we will come when they come to me, they know what they're going to get. And fortunately, I've had multiple occasions where, you know, I have galleries that will ask me to, they'll give me a topic or the topic of the show and they'll give me free reign to create a piece. Now they might not know what that piece is going to be. And I've had some pushback, but I'm like, look, this is what you're getting.
And, you know, and they show it, you know, whether how it's perceived as, you know, is up in the air. But I'm just not willing to water down my work for the name of pleasing anybody or for the sake of money either.
Rob Lee: Yeah, and that's, that's important. Like, you know, there are some folks, not many, but there are still some folks that I've interviewed and I find out later that it's like, yeah, you know, whatever for the bread. I'm like, yo, but you said your work is about like, sort of this.
Is it this with like parameters with an aspect around it? And it's not like trying to yuck anyone's jam or like, I'm not really compromising, I'm really warting my thing down. I love that.
Lex Marie: Thank you. There's a lot of different lanes in this art world and I think that I'm definitely choosing the longer game, like the longer game.
Rob Lee: It's a life thing. I saw this thing earlier about, it was, I forget the artist's name, but they were talking about artists don't retire because it's a lifestyle and if it's a lifestyle, life is the first word in there, right? That's what I'm saying. It's a long trajectory. It's not just, I did this for a while, it's really political for a bit and it's like, I'm doing this now. It's like, this is the opposite of what you were doing.
Where is the person in it? This is for the long haul, that's great. We're here in DC and I was sharing a little bit earlier that it's like, we've been crossing ships through the social media through some of the connections. I was like, I know you, where do I know you from? Then we're able to connect here, but what I take from that is connection and community or what have you and there's something important about that, whether it's having that fellowship, whether it's having the network and that community to, hey, you dealt with this gallery before, you dealt with this person before and building relationships is key. When I go to the different cities that I go to, I can always say, at least have one friend there.
It's like, you should go get coffee here, don't get coffee there, trash. For you, how does forming connections and friendships and so on within this art world work for you? What's the value of that for you?
Lex Marie: Oh, wow, it's super important. Up until a few years ago, I didn't think that I had much community in the art world. I guess everything changed with that first solo show. Most of my art friends are actually in Baltimore, which is crazy. I'm from PG County and we were raised more than just Baltimore for some reason.
Rob Lee: I mean, I was like, cool, come to find out. You guys are cool. Baltimore is cool. I'll say that on public record. So I formed these really great friendships where we can bounce ideas off of each other, talk about things that we can't necessarily talk about in public.
Lex Marie: I'm in this small art collective. Charles Mason, the third, Thomas James, and Sierra Walters all in Baltimore. We just shoot each other's texts every now and again, asking how we are, asking how the work is going, talking about other people's work, and our thoughts on different topics. Because I've never had a mentor or I don't have any artists of family, I had no direction. I just had my faith in what felt good.
That's how I got up until 2021. Then after that, now having those bonds and having those relationships has made things quite easier when it comes to just giving me a sense of direction of what I'm doing, where I want to go, and also through galleries, I guess, and through the podcast. People will reach out to me and I heard the podcast or I sing your show and want to work with me or want to ask questions or want to mentor me. It's been helpful. It's been great. That's how I've gotten most of my work sold through word of mouth or most people coming through my shows through word of mouth. It's been great. I'm thankful.
Rob Lee: That's great. Having that level, I love when I talk with someone and they're like, you really should talk to you. I love a referral. You can't be everywhere all the time, but being able to be in conversation with folks and having a wide range of interests, that really makes a lot of sense in being able to connect with folks. With the exception of, I haven't interviewed at all yet, but I've interviewed here at Viewtales and I've interviewed a few other folks down here and they always refer people. You got to talk to this person, you got to have this person on the pod, or I don't know if this person, I'm having those conversations, but through this media thing. Recently, I was at Owen Airfest in Brooklyn and it was great.
I have to justify and think through why am I going up here, why am I? Part of it is we have a public radio lane in Baltimore, but it's more of a lane. Here, NPR is down here.
I just have to go up there just to have a better lay of that land. I know how to have a conversation with artists and get connected with artists and folks that I'm curious about their work, but as far as the media side of things, it's like not having any connections. No mentor, self-taught. And almost in a backwards way looking for mentors, especially folks who have gone on and done really great things in that space. But it's just like, I'll have conversations with them. You already know these things.
Why do you want a mentor? I was like, because I don't know the thing. I don't know the full thing. And just having this desire to learn is always, it never ends.
Lex Marie: It never ends. It's a journey. It's a marathon.
Rob Lee: I got two more real questions for you. Then I have the, for some, dreaded rapid fire questions. So, you know, stay tuned for those. So we're recording this in March.
So really set the stage early March, right? February was a blur for me. I was down here three times for different shows. I went to wrestling shows down here, Satori, Y-Concert.
I was bugging. And I was also in Brooklyn and most recently in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. My first Mardi Gras. I didn't wear a mask, but I did catch beads. I didn't do anything weird. I knew it was strange for some change.
Maybe. But anyway, I think when I go to other cities or cities that kind of peak my interest, I'm looking for some indication of culture. For, you know, I've been called a culture guy by some of my friends who have you. And you know, you can see it there.
Like some of the iconography they'll see as far as the street art and maybe something bossy app related, something Prince related. It's like right there. And it's like, I connect with this. And it makes me want to go deeper and further. So for you, you travel, you're out here, you're a bit of a globe trotter.
Yeah, that's funny. You want to be tree something, I believe. So when you go to a city, I mean, I'd be there to, you know, show work or buy work or even be in a scene, but what are some of those markers for you when you go to another place? It's like, there's something creative you might want to look at a little bit later. I might want to investigate further. Yeah.
Lex Marie: I try to go to a museum each time I travel, depending on who I'm with. Usually if I'm by myself, I'm at a museum every day. So I spent some time in Spain last summer and I don't know, just felt very rich in culture and whether it be food or art. You know, I went to a huge museum that, I mean, I'm like, I'm obsessed with art. So I want to look at art all the time. Actually, when I came here, I'm like, oh, the National Museum of Women and Arts is around the corner.
So I'll probably go there afterwards. But this is artwork that I would never see otherwise. So I'm like, fully taking advantage of being in this new place, you know, and seeing this art.
So that's a huge thing for me. I mean, more like locally or nationally, it makes it much easier. You know, I spend time in New York as often as I can. I think it's pretty important as an artist to spend some time in New York. And I know with travel, I love traveling for art purposes. And I'm looking forward to showing art overseas soon come, hopefully. And yeah, I'm a culture culture person.
Rob Lee: I don't mean to bite your eye. But I think that's that's really good. That's a really good point. Like, you know, I was sharing earlier when I was in Austin and I saw this goofy bumper stick or something disposable. Right. You probably got these in a box of 10, you know, and it turned into an observation.
It turned into a question or even the New York thing you just mentioned. Like, look, Rob Lee, I know I made, you know, joke about you being the queen when you came in here, but Rob Lee doesn't get on the train was trained. Rob Lee gets in cars. But this most recent trip, Rob Lee's budget was a little slim.
So Rob Lee was on the train. But I think, you know, being on there and absorbing the culture in a very, you know, condensed period just gave me so many things to sort of like write down. So I'm one to always have a notepad on me and just get down like, you know, stems of thoughts, the stems of observations of, hmm, I see something on this train that I think can come a question or maybe this could be an interesting podcast and being in a place that has sort of a richness to the culture like a New York. And to some degree, I know people talk of the weird stuff about DC doesn't have a culture. I disagreed with it. And I'm like, I think it doesn't have a public one. I think you have to go a little bit deeper. And that's what I find a lot when I go to these other cities, you have to be there. Yes.
Lex Marie: Yeah. You find a thing. Yeah. You have to spend the time for sure. You have to talk to the people too. Like, you know, I've done the tourist things, but I always try to make time to actually go in and talk to the people.
And, you know, I keep a sketchbook with me too, but I don't necessarily sketch. I write, you know, the Barcelona during that time, they, they didn't really want tourists there. And I didn't know that until I got there and seeing some graffiti that said tourists go home, right?
It's just why I like wrote that down. But when I see things like that, I investigate, I research, and I'm like, why don't they want tourists to go there? And I'm always respectful of the culture and the people. And so I make sure I'm like up on current events now when it comes to traveling too. Yes.
Rob Lee: It's really important and, you know, being cultured. And I like that you touched on food a little bit, a little scotch there. Because it's not truly, I'm just going to hear for this, like, for me, if I go anywhere, it's like, I got to have a meal there. I got to deal with the sea thing. I got to be able to see people and I'll say before I move into the last question, I'll say one of the first times from one of 10, New York, it was for, I think, one of these series of art shows.
I went up for future fair and I was like, I'm traveling for art. Man, I've really made it, you know, as a, you know, journalist around this, right? And I have a buddy who's a photographer that lives up there. Originally, I met him through the podcast and, you know, it was Baltimore at the time and moved up to Brooklyn. And I'd asked him, I was like, yeah, I'm not sure about this train. How do I get back?
He gave me, this is how he explained it to me. He's do that Isaiah Winters. He's like, look, you got to walk over here to the street. You're going to pass the Spider-Man Dunkin' Donuts, the Spider-Man Donut place. I was like, so you're using food to make it connect for me and pop culture. And he's like, the train stops across the street. I was like, okay, I remembered it, right?
Based on that. So I get on the train and I'm like, man, yeah, you're not so bad. Nothing weird has happened on this train.
You get on, drops his pants, says the wildest thing. I think it was like, you know, yeah, maybe there's something around the D. And I was just like, oh, this is New York. This is what they talk about on a year NYC account. This is wild. So I texted him a video and I was like, you know, some dude said, you know, this on the train and it was very inappropriate, but also very funny.
He's like, I hope you enjoyed your trip. Welcome to New York. Literally.
And no one told me God of the way. So that's great. So here's the last question.
I always like to leave on something for one to grow on, right? You know, you're here. You're here crushing us. I see you.
I see you. So within, you know, from the advice lens for like artists who want to pursue something, that is just like, look, this is very personal to me. This is very important to me. But, you know, people may want it to be, can you clean that up a little bit?
Can you make it a little bit more sanitized? What's an important piece of advice that you would share or maybe we'll share with you that you will want to pass along for folks who are aspiring to kind of pursue work in a similar fashion as you?
Lex Marie: I would say that authenticity shines through. I think it may take a little bit longer, but the people are going to feel it. The people who are supposed to feel it are going to feel it. So if you feel like something is important enough for you to talk about, enough for you to create work about, then someone else is going to feel that too. No one is alone in their experiences. There's always someone else who's going to relate to it. So, carrot.
Rob Lee: Institutional, I like it. Yeah, thanks, I drive. Institutional. All right. So with that, you've earned a new rather fire question.
Lex Marie: You now have four. You only had three for a second. And then I was like, nah, I didn't like the way. That was too enlightening.
Rob Lee: So I got four of them for you. So the way to wrap a fire works. You don't want to overthink these. So I got what I got. You should be very nervous. This is the part that everyone gets afraid of. All right. Do you have, and this is not obscure, do you have a number of significance and why?
Lex Marie: Like a number of people. Like literally a number. Seven. Any significance around the number seven? I don't know how to explain it, but I've just always been drawn to the number seven. I feel like it's like a divine number of some sort. And you're your son is that my son is seven. Yes.
Rob Lee: Active listen. It works sometimes. That's good. I find like you see people just throwing out numbers. I go three, three, three, if I'm saying, you ain't know what that means. Like I always have been drawn to, I, it's going to sound, this is me really feeling back to curtain. Numerology was a thing for me for a bit, you know, and the stones. And always number eight, you know, that's the sort of birthday year and all of that stuff.
And, um, yeah, in fours and to all of those numbers on alignment and these start reading what they're connected to, right? It's like good with money. I'm a visionary. I was like, oh, that sounds about right.
Sounds familiar. So it's always a number that's an even number that works for me. And the seven is one of those really, really good numbers as well. And I don't really look at those, those ones though. So like they're like really on their own. I don't like what's on their own.
Lex Marie: I get, was that a joke? Yeah.
Rob Lee: Yeah. So this is definitely a question to ask an artist. I bought this book about Japanese color theory. And I was just like, I'm gonna start dressing ridiculous as I start going to more shows, right? For a while, I was only wearing car heart and like Doc Martens and my glasses are really tiny and I was wearing big scarf. Just imagine this, but is that I'm playing a character that he shows.
So it's like, I want to improve what my tips are. So I was looking at this Japanese color theory book for inspiration, initial color combinations. What are your favorite color combination?
Lex Marie: Oh, my favorite color combination. I've never thought this before. Okay. So it's rapid fire. I like orange and green. I like, I love orange. I think it's bright and brightens up my day. Green things.
I don't know. It just seems like it goes together. They contrast quite well. I think my house, my house is orange. I'm painting my wall green. So I don't know.
Rob Lee: See that's connection there. I thought you were gonna say for a second. I'm thinking about enrolling in fam you. I'm like, what?
Lex Marie: Not at all. That's a good combo. Like I like orange. And as you were describing, I was like, man, you're like kind of like an orange, like a bright orange total neck and like some really wide leg trousers. Like deep green. Yeah.
Rob Lee: So now we're getting to the, this one is gonna be a hard one. Hypothetically, 2025 will require a mass purge. What are three items in your studio space that you like? I got to keep these. Everything else can go, but I got to keep these three items.
Lex Marie: Outside of art? They could be art. Okay. Oh, let's think in my studio currently, can all of my art be one?
Rob Lee: No. You are just, I always come upon it. I can't give you my favorite color and give you my like a range. Like no.
Lex Marie: Okay. The original school supplies sculpture, the one made out of pencil, state-dense, the A.K .A. That piece, yeah, that piece, I need the original. Um, I have my black maternal health flag that I created out of receiving, hospital receiving blankets.
I think that piece is super important and symbolic. How about outside of art? My paints, my paints, yeah, my oil paints, because I'm going to get back to that. And I could paint on anything as long as I have a paint, you know, I'll paint on a wall. Doesn't matter. Yeah.
Rob Lee: Now that's, that's really cool. It's awful. Like that's like, you know, I got some work that's important, but also it's like, I need to keep my, exactly.
Lex Marie: Right. I'm just going to grab like a mixer and like is one of my mixers, maybe, maybe not even a mixer, probably just these mics, right? Now they're one piece. They're one unit. They'd go together. That's awesome. The paint, the paint, the set.
Rob Lee: And I'll probably, I did an interview a few weeks ago with the biophilic design expert and we were talking about like your space and how it can help generate like creativity. And so we're doing this exercise and we were talking about like my studio space. And in my space, I have a back wall and it's a bit of a converted. There's a back wall that has like posters and just goofy stuff. Some press releases and stuff that was in, but in the front wall is all the paintings I used to do. And it's just like, so I'm facing that wall and facing all of my old creativity. I would definitely grab one of those paintings. It would probably be the one that looks like the low end theory cover from trial.
And maybe this is even more sentimental. So when I was very young, I wanted to be a comic book illustrator. So that was the thing like, you're going to be a comic book artist. And my late grandmother, she made a bag for me, an art bag, and it had elements of my dad's bag from Vietnam when he was in the service. So it's like, she's, she's the same stress. So it's like combining this sort of like, you know, children almost attach a thing with elements of a double bag. And that was my art bag for a long time. So I would probably bring those three items, something sentimental, something like, all right, this is what you're doing now. Something for the best.
Lex Marie: Yeah. Love that. All right. Here's the last one.
Rob Lee: I'm over here sharing through the rapid fire. See, this isn't good. Rapid fire. I might have to take this out. It's kind of hard. All right. Uh, what was the last place that you traveled and the last meal that you had at that place?
Lex Marie: Um, I just got back from Turks and Caicos like two weeks ago. It was beautiful. Um, the last meal that I had, what did I have? Well, that's the thing that was, oh, I was, it was a glass meal, but I'll say the most significant meal. Um, we were on a boat and, um, captain had got his conch. And I was able, he told me how to open the conch and I was able to pull it out. And he made a conch to be chaped with it and it was delicious.
Rob Lee: That's, that's amazing. I was going to say conch too for a second. It was delicious.
Lex Marie: My first time having conch. I didn't know what it looked like. I was like, Eww, like holding it up, but it was delicious. So yeah. Yeah. New Orleans for me.
Rob Lee: Uh, this is not going to be sexy or anything like that. I had a Greek food and it was really good. But also it's not like this is anything. Red beans and rice oriented. It wasn't fried. It was just, you know, full pocket. And it was fine.
And, um, but I have had conch before in, uh, the Bahamas. It was fried. And, uh, yeah, I think it was a lot of rum and it's like, it's like, you know, this is not proof at all. I was like, this is amazing. And, um, it's like, we got these conch fritters to go along with it. I was like fried food, hand brown, like a, this is amazing.
Lex Marie: What are we doing? So yeah, those are fine.
Rob Lee: So that's it for the, the interviews. That's great. That's it for the questions. So, um, one thing that I want to do, actually two things I want to do, I want to, um, one, thank you for coming onto the podcast and spending some time with me today.
Lex Marie: No, thank you for having me. That's great.
Rob Lee: And two, I'm going to invite and encourage you to share with the listeners where they can follow you, keep up to date on all things. Lexemarie, the floor is yours. Yeah.
Lex Marie: So Instagram is where I post most of my work. My handle is at the Lexemarie, T H E L E X M A R E. Just a R I E. Don't do that. Lexemarie was not, it was taken already. So I had to add the in front of it. Okay. And then my website is www.lexemarie .com. So, yeah.
Rob Lee: And there you have it folks. I'm going to again, thank the Lexemarie for coming on to the podcast. Um, and, and sharing a bit of her story with us. It's a long time coming, a lost tape, if you will. And for Lexemarie, I am Rob Lee, Santa, there's art, culture and community. Into the round journey of the woods. You just have to look for it.
