artist statement for DEC 3 critique

My art is a balance of subconscious decisions and conscious planning. The first series plays with tension, intensity and, at times, aggression. Letting gravity take control, I pour materials onto a canvas, “helping” at times but not knowing what the result is going to look like until it dries. These pieces explore the extent of the medium and base while giving off an uncomfortable pressure. I want to shock the audience into coming closer despite the initial reaction to see the detailed beauty and even elegance in the natural material of wood and how it interacts with paint.
Another idea that I have been exploring has a sort of white on white minimalistic modern influence. I have always been interested in light and shadow, particularly in light shining through a certain object or from a certain angle, creating various shapes. I started from building on canvas for a protruding shape to making my own canvas and sewing fabric to create the depth and patterns against the light that I wanted.

another artist statement

My art has a theme of playing with hidden meaning in tension, intensity and, at times, aggression. These pieces explore the extent of the material while giving off an uncomfortable pressure. I want to shock the audience into coming closer despite the initial reaction to see the detailed beauty and even elegance in the natural material of wood and how it interacts with paint.
Another idea that I have been toying around with has a sort of white on white minimalistic influence. I have always been interested in light and shadow, particularly in light shining through a certain object or from a certain angle, creating various shapes. I started building on canvas to making my own canvas and using fabric to create the depth and patterns against the light that I wanted. This not only creates a light, more peaceful presence, but changes the traditional gallery scene of pieces on a wall to one on the ceiling.
Upon the first engagement with a piece of artwork, not all information is attained. My belief is that the process of creating artwork is just as important, or more important, than the resulting piece. The subconscious can speak for a person more accurately than words, sometimes more truthfully than what a person thinks the truth is when speaking of it. So there is a depth when creating subconscious artwork that takes time and effort to gain an understanding.

revised artist statement - still a work in progress

My art has a theme of playing with hidden meaning. There is a certain mystery or confusion associated in playing with shadow and light, showing an intimacy and giving off an uncomfortable pressure. How various mediums such as dry pigment, sand, and even wax are used to make a traditional 2 dimensional painting 3 dimensional in an abstract expressionist manner and how they are installed always extract a slightly off balanced feeling from the audience.

Upon the first engagement with a piece of artwork, not all information is attained. My belief is that the process of creating artwork is just as important, or more important, than the resulting piece. The subconscious can speak for a person more accurately than words, sometimes more truthfully than what a person thinks the truth is when speaking of it. So there is a depth when creating subconscious artwork that takes time and effort to gain a perspective.

My interest in process art stems from my several artistic influence, mainly in the abstract expressionism area. The most recent artist is Virginia Martinsen, known for creating “accidental by-products” through boldly mixing and just pouring paint onto a canvas, drawing the line for when is too much and creating powerful pieces. Other artists are Jackson Pollock for his dripping paint, Jane Frank for her use of mixed media and “ingazing” and Taro Yamamoto’s use of color.

Artist Statement: Amy Lu

Art has always been a form of self therapy for Amy Lu. Starting from private art lessons at the age of 9, Amy has explored pencil and charcoal drawing, ceramics and eventually spending most of her time on oil painting. The process has been just as important as the result, if not more – as a child, the weekly lessons provided a source of freedom and calm. Upon coming to TCNJ, she has become more confident, daring, and intuitive and gained vital knowledge about her works as well as the art community. Realizing that she has an innate interest in exploring various mediums and techniques, she creates both 2D and 3D works that subject the viewer to a sort of intimate and uncomfortable pressure. Although there is no common type of work that she does, there is a common theme throughout each one – how the viewer is a part of the experience. Her pieces represent a reality of a person’s tension between self, culture and environment.