Born and raised in El Paso, TX, Hal Marcus is a folk style artist with a pop art twist. His work has become associated with El Paso and can be seen in many art collections throughout the world.

His style is heavily influenced by the Border Region and has been embraced by the El Paso community. In this interview Marcus speaks about his youth and the importance of the arts.

The following is a brief Q and A with Mister Marcus::

epcb::When did you realize you wanted to become an artist?

HM:: I got interested in art when I was attending Coronado High School. I was an average student, and I always made A’s in art. I was lucky because I had two art teachers who encouraged me and said I had talent and good composition. I didn’t know what they were talking about but I liked doing art. Because of that encouragement I decided I wanted to do that with my life.

epcb::Who are your artistic influences?

HM:: I like Picasso a lot, because he paints a lot of women and I do too and he’s the father of modern art and I like Matisse also.

epcb:: Why are women such an integral source of inspiration for your art?

HM:: I was the first son in my family; I had two sisters born before me. When I was born I got lots of attention from all the women in my family. I think it’s because of that, they gave me lots of love, and so I put women on a pedestal. I was inspired by them

epcb:: How do you think the arts fit into our culture, especially during these turbulent times?

HM:: I think that art is what keeps the fabric of a society together and I don’t mean just painting but all the arts: music, dance, and literature. In today’s times when there’s so much destruction and politics, the arts have become more important because they’re universal. People don’t kill each other over art. I really think that the creative thinkers of the world have some truth to share with the rest of civilization. The arts can hold things together when it seems like things are falling apart. Art can make sense of all the madness in the world.

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Visit the Hal Marcus Gallery at 1308 N. Oregon.