In art school, Cynthia Marsh took inspiration from Ed Ruscha’s Twentysix Gasonline Stations. She wrote to Ruscha, and to her surprise he responded.
As her graduation approached, the idea of finding employment as a printmaker rang like a bad joke. The only option was leave Philadelphia and head to California.
To begin her life as a bona fide artist, she devised a plan to meet Ed Ruscha. Developing the persona of Angel Baby, Marsh set out across the country.
This coming-of-age story interweaves anecdotal histories from the 1970’s with a journey that shaped her into the artist she is today.
Cynthia Marsh is a narrative artist. She uses large wood type to begin conversations that take form as books, broadsides, and printed environments. As founder and director of the Goldsmith Press & Rare Type Collection @ Austin Peay State University (1996-2016), she invited community members to express opinions and tell stories using the vast collection of wood type.
In 2016 Marsh reignited her imprint — Studio One Eye Open. She continues to collaborate with other printers and artists who value wood type as the language of democracy and free speech.
She lectures and exhibits her work internationally. Recent venues include the Museum of Modern Art / PSI, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (book Arts Collection), LA County Craft and Folk Art Museum, and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Residencies include KKF Grafix / Sweden, NERAM/Australia, Women’s Studio Workshop/NY, Xochi Quetzal/Mexico, and Warm Heart Papermaking /Tanzania.
cynthiamarsh.myportfolio.com
