Scarlet Colsen was born in Kellis Store, Mississippi, in 1939, but moved to Grosse Ile, Michigan when she was five. Shortly after high school, she was discovered by
Oleg Casini and was invited to New York where she worked as a high-fashion model for ten years and earned the dubious distinction of being the first and only “Marlboro Woman”. She also appeared in the “Mirror of Venus”, a Sexist piece of pseudo-poetry conceived by Federico Fellini, Francoise Sagan and Wingate Paine. Since modeling is the epitome of oppressive objectification, Scarlet naturally embraced the ethics and politics of Radical Feminism. It was around this time that she began her first formal studies in sculpture at Kean University in Union, NJ, and with Jessica Holden in Riverdale, NY. Shortly after, to explore the performance aspect of her work, she studied acting with Gordon Phillips and Filmmaking at Columbia University. Scarlet co-wrote, co-directed, and acted in two short films. While all creative activities feed on each other and nourish us, by the mid-1980’s, she began sculpting in earnest, and in 1995, moved to New Paltz, NY, to concentrate on art, poetry, and gardening.
Oleg Casini and was invited to New York where she worked as a high-fashion model for ten years and earned the dubious distinction of being the first and only “Marlboro Woman”. She also appeared in the “Mirror of Venus”, a Sexist piece of pseudo-poetry conceived by Federico Fellini, Francoise Sagan and Wingate Paine. Since modeling is the epitome of oppressive objectification, Scarlet naturally embraced the ethics and politics of Radical Feminism. It was around this time that she began her first formal studies in sculpture at Kean University in Union, NJ, and with Jessica Holden in Riverdale, NY. Shortly after, to explore the performance aspect of her work, she studied acting with Gordon Phillips and Filmmaking at Columbia University. Scarlet co-wrote, co-directed, and acted in two short films. While all creative activities feed on each other and nourish us, by the mid-1980’s, she began sculpting in earnest, and in 1995, moved to New Paltz, NY, to concentrate on art, poetry, and gardening.
Her poetry has appeared in Chronogram, Plough Quarterly Magazine, and awostingalchemy.com. Her new chapbook of poetry, “A Pound of Dirt”, is published by Finishing Line Press and is available at their site:
Her art has been shown in Kingston, NY and elsewhere in the Mid-Hudson Valley, as well as Brooklyn, NY and Cape Cod, MA. Some of the Woodswomen work can be seen here:
She has the great good fortune to live on a river in paradise with the love of her life, and is just as lucky to have an incredible daughter and two amazing grandchildren.
She has the great good fortune to live on a river in paradise with the love of her life, and is just as lucky to have an incredible daughter and two amazing grandchildren.