Deborah Garner: Upstream
Artist Statement: Over the years, my artistic process has shown itself to be one concerned with 鈥渓etting go鈥�. Letting go of image, symbol, composition. A letting go of control by my intellectual self and an attempted stepping back from a strictly personal point of view toward a more universal one.
As a self-taught artist, I began early on by challenging myself when technique became too polished or facile, to loosen up by working with whatever was at hand and with no forethought. Simply approaching a blank surface, getting out of my own way and seeing what materialized as I felt my way through.
Abstraction was the natural channel for this and instrumental music was frequently the means that allowed me to most easily sense colors, edges, shapes that morphed and merged as pigment on the pristine 铿乪ld. Small ensembles of jazz and chamber music sets the tone and on a good day I can completely 铿俹w with it. The resulting 鈥渞elaxed-attention鈥� provides a ephemeral pathway that is 铿俥eting and must be pursued in the moment. As daunting as this can be, it is the only satisfying way I can work.
After decades of admiring, studying, and dealing in ethnographic art (traditional arts of tribal peoples) and marvelling at the extraordinary individual expressions created by native artists in this relaxed-attentive 鈥渢heta鈥� state, I feel there are many years of personal exploration ahead. I embrace that task and hope that you will enjoy selections from my visual journey so far.
Recommended for you
Artist Statement: Over the years, my artistic process has shown itself to be one concerned with 鈥渓etting go鈥�. Letting go of image, symbol, composition. A letting go of control by my intellectual self and an attempted stepping back from a strictly personal point of view toward a more universal one.
As a self-taught artist, I began early on by challenging myself when technique became too polished or facile, to loosen up by working with whatever was at hand and with no forethought. Simply approaching a blank surface, getting out of my own way and seeing what materialized as I felt my way through.
Abstraction was the natural channel for this and instrumental music was frequently the means that allowed me to most easily sense colors, edges, shapes that morphed and merged as pigment on the pristine 铿乪ld. Small ensembles of jazz and chamber music sets the tone and on a good day I can completely 铿俹w with it. The resulting 鈥渞elaxed-attention鈥� provides a ephemeral pathway that is 铿俥eting and must be pursued in the moment. As daunting as this can be, it is the only satisfying way I can work.
After decades of admiring, studying, and dealing in ethnographic art (traditional arts of tribal peoples) and marvelling at the extraordinary individual expressions created by native artists in this relaxed-attentive 鈥渢heta鈥� state, I feel there are many years of personal exploration ahead. I embrace that task and hope that you will enjoy selections from my visual journey so far.
Artists on show
What's on nearby
