Page 50 - WTP VOl. XIII #2

43
“Ifocus on themes of domestic and global violence.
The media I select and mix with traditional ones are fraught with difficult associations. Manipulating these remnants and rendering them inert as art me- dia, are actions that underscore my interest and life- long support of anti-violence movements. I strive to transform them into a critical mechanism. In my ab- stract 'landscapes’ on archival papers, I incorporate inert gunpowder residues, watercolors, and often acrylics through a two-part pouring-and-painting process. I choose to work with gunpowder for its associations, but also for its tonal qualities, includ- ing the depth of grey it provides as first discovered by American artist Ed Ruscha. I view my pouring as echoing the active and physical work of well-known Washingtonian Color Field artists, Morris Louis and Sam Gilliam. The second part of my process is far less physical and involves defining forms and images on a drafting table using reductive and additional manipulations.
“In my most recent works, I have begun inserting depictions of flora such as olive branches or poppies as symbolic references and counterpoints. I produce these often chaotic amalgams to reflect the contem- porary moment.”
miChÈlE ColbuRn