Alumna Norma Markley ’84 featured in ‘Empirical Nonsense Daily’

By
Brittany Nguyen
February 17, 2021

Empirical Nonsense Daily (END) is an online art project that features a different artist daily. The project will run for one year, ending on July 31, 2021, and will be followed by a book documenting the 365 days. Alumna Norma Markley ’84 is END’s February 3, 2021 featured artist. 

END features and represents a broad view of the arts which includes disciplines such as writing, poetry, filmmaking, performing, acting, and music.  

With the constant barrage of terrible daily news reports that foreshadow the possibility of the END of days, alongside the closure of galleries, theaters, and music venues due to COVID-19, Empirical Nonsense Daily will attempt to bring artists together and bring some inspiration and hope with END. 

“Through these small acts, established and emerging artists – some of whom invited their friends – and artists who submitted their work through Empirical Nonsense’s website, unite in solidarity in an effort to offer everyone a chance to take refuge from today’s strenuous times,” according to Empirical Nonsense’s website.

Submissions to END are currently open to all through email proposals only.

Markley presents a collection of sewn drawings inspired by a line from Nabokov’s Lolita, “I am going to pass around in a minute some lovely, glossy-blue picture-postcards.” The drawings of erotic couples are titles with “yes” or “no” variations and indirectly analyze the nuances of language. 

Markley works in a variety of mediums—neon, embroidery, collage, paintings, and prints. She describes her practice as “recombining various apple pie images of Americana” and “thoughtful symbols of throwaway culture.” Her solo shows include Y Gallery in NYC, Croxhapox Gallery in Ghent, and Shores Space in Amsterdam. Her awards include a New York Foundation for the Arts award in Drawing and a Queens Council on the Arts Grant, with residencies at Fundacion Valparaiso, Aljira Emerge, St. Mary’s on the Lake, and The Edward A. Albee Visual Arts Foundation.