Tess Bilhartz interviews Margaux Ogden whose exhibition Tidal Locking was recently on view at Tif Sigfrids.

Ogden remarks: “Repetition is very present in ancient Roman architecture, and the degradation or evolution of form that happens over time interests me. You start out with a perfect copy, and eventually it is bastardized to a point where you can’t recognize it. It becomes something else. Rome was initially a big inspiration for these paintings, and there are shapes I can point to that came from there, but lately it feels less important. It relates to how I’ve always worked. I’ll find something and create a scaffolding to work within. I’ve always liked Bernard Piffaretti, especially how he splits the surface and makes a painting on one side and copies it on the other. That’s obviously not what I’m doing, but I am interested in what happens when you try to copy yourself. It’s never a perfect replica. This relates to what I was saying earlier about surprise from repetition. I’m bifurcating the surface. One side mirrors the other, but not in a way that is supposed to be a copy or reflection—more like an echo. I’m also painting both sides simultaneously.”