Meet Susan Logoreci

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Susan Logoreci. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Susan, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

My optimism comes from the act of creating.

When I feel inspired and imagine a body of work or a large, fabricated piece, I want to share that vision with others. Even when exterior circumstances are less than ideal, I always have a list of ideas and motifs I want to make, express, and explore.

When I begin a new project or piece, staring at the blank paper, I feel like I don’t truly know what will happen next. I’ve heard other artists describe that as scary but I find it hopeful. Once the work starts to take shape, I feel excited and privileged to get to work on it. Time flies by when I’m in a flow state. I love the possibilities and potential that seem unlimited when I begin, and then I equally enjoy all the large and small choices that narrow down the limitlessness to a specific vision.

The day-to-day job for many artists (myself included) requires a lot of isolation and time by oneself. I mostly enjoy the silence and sometimes boredom. Sometimes, I create art for a commission (public and private) but oftentimes I am making art that may never see the light of day.

I love the world I have created in my mind that flows out onto the page or panel. I find it full of life and delightful and I love spending a lot of my time making it or thinking about it.

For me, the act of creating is an act of optimism.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I make contemporary landscape art, specifically cityscapes from an aerial view. I’ve been making this work for about 20 years, mostly depicting Los Angeles (where I live) but other places too. I also create public artworks that are fabricated into tile, and terrazzo among other materials. I see my art as depicting the humanity of our built spaces. I strive to express their fragility and strength. I enjoy getting lost in the network of roads and buildings that tilt and sway toward destruction or maybe their future selves.

I have been fortunate to create long-lasting, permanent, public projects in airports and a light rail station. It’s pretty amazing to get my work made in different, durable materials and to have it up for millions of people to see and experience.

The largest piece I’ve completed is a 10,000 square foot terrazzo floor and over two dozen airplane window-shaped terrazzo wall pieces in the Southwest terminal in the Phoenix airport. Inspired by the notion of a glass-bottomed airplane, the floor depicts aerial views of the Phoenix landscape. It is a progressive experience, taking the viewer from the city at night through sun-drenched, local landscapes.

Currently, I’m making new paintings and drawings that I hope to show soon as well as working on public art proposals. I also just released two new prints you can purchase here: https://sebastianfoster.com/artists/susan-logoreci

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

It’s difficult to narrow it down to three but these are the skills or attributes that in my experience, artists need to have to get started and continue. I’m a runner and I like to think of building a career like running a marathon, not doing wind sprints. The following advice might not be the sexiest but it’s practical.

1. The deep down desire to do it – I always tell younger artists or students starting out, that if there is anything at all they are also interested in as an occupation, then they should pick that other thing, In my experience, art is a calling. People who have the curiosity and interest to develop that part of themselves, as a lifestyle and a lifelong pursuit have to do it no matter what. For these people, there was nothing else to choose from.

2. Tenacity – As a lifelong pursuit there might be years where you toil away with lackluster results (professionally and or creatively). You might never have the success you want. Personal knowledge and growth from it has to be its own reward. When I was in graduate school, artist Linda Bessemer came to speak and told us that our job was to find our audience (be it big or small or different than the one we wanted) and make work for them. My audience changes when I’m working on a public project versus a gallery show, but that advice has helped me refocus when I needed to.

3. Being a good administrator – This is the less exciting part of professionally pursuing a life in the arts. Knowing how to market yourself, set prices, track sales, put together presentations or at least how to research these things is important. Being an artist has been professionalized and being a decent administrator is part of that path, especially in public art where the artist is one part of a large team that often has to deal with complicated logistics.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I want to expand my collaborations with designers, architects, and art consultants on public-facing projects within institutions and private-sector organizations.

I truly enjoy seeing my work displayed in dynamic spaces where diverse groups of people come together, such as hotels, office lobbies, and other communal areas. In these spaces, it’s easy to feel alienated and out of touch with our surroundings. My art’s organic, hand-made quality provides warmth and viewers with a new perspective on their city or community.

I’m looking forward to building stronger partnerships in this arena, where I can contribute my expertise and collaborate on projects that blend functionality with artistic expression.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.susanlogoreci.com
• Instagram: susanlogoreci
• Facebook: susan.logoreci
• Linkedin: susanlogoreci
• Youtube: TheSusanlogo
• Other: Bluesky – susanlogo.bsky.social

Image Credits

Michael Baxter
Brian Cooper