thoughts about my work...

My mentor asked me to write something about whats going on in my studio, how I'm working, etc. This is what I sent her. I think I might be able to use some of this for an artist statement.

I'm focusing on process, the hands on methods of image making. Particularly printmaking processes, even more specifically, transfers. Photography, photocopy, monoprint, hand drawn, collage, paint are also methods i'm using. The physical processes are important to me for having a tactile connection to art making as opposed to on the computer which is where i found the design work i was doing lacking. I like getting a little dirty while i work.

The imagery i'm using comes from my personal experience with the world around me which includes mostly urban environments and elements. The things i'm most often drawn to in the city show a passage of time; accumulation, deterioration, decay, rust, lost, broken, layers, etc. At the moment i'm not trying to make any particular judgements but leave interpretation up to the viewer. However i do find a sad poetry in these types of elements. The use of text, whether print or handwriting, is also of interest to me. The print is a connection to my design background, the handwriting is a very personal form of expression. When using my own handwriting, I often use cursive because it take more time and consideration in forming each letter.

in my studio i have files of found images and materials, including notes that people have written to someone. I'd like to incorporate these in my work somehow. Again, a reflection of the world around me, but more focused on people and small glimpses into their lives. These plus photos I take while walking through the city serve as inspiration as well as source imagery.

an artist that is similarly inspired by urban environments and the poetry of its history is Catherine Mackey http://catherinemackey.com/statement.html She clearly is influenced my a couple of my favorites, Rauschenberg and Johns. But i have to be able to appreciate her work while still finding my own ways of expressing similar ideas. I also am looking more directly at johns and rauschenberg and trying to delvelop my own dada meets pop way of observing the world.