Art Statement
 |
|
Lattice, 41"x30", pigment print, drawing, collage, acrylic on paper, 2008 |
Ambiguities of space and scale, virtual and actual, and the relationship between micro and macro are defining aspects of my current work. I begin by capturing definitive images with my still or video cameras, seeking out man-made objects with visible structure such as light fixtures or architectural elements as well as amorphous environmental phenomena like light observed through filters or exploding fireworks. After uploading the images to my computer, I alter them in Photoshop and print the digital images onto high-quality paper using a large format color printer. I then bring the piece into my studio and continue to develop the image using a combination of techniques including drawing, traditional print-making and painting to create a space-scape of materializing and dematerializing forms. The tension between the photographic and hand drawn images, between the symbolic and diagrammatic forms and the resulting expressive possibilities are both the foundation and the focus of the work.
At the heart of my work are ideas related to space, motion, and light, inspired by current scientific inquiry in the fields of physics, astronomy and biology. I research math sites on the internet for inspiration, reading about how physicists and astronomers use the language of math to work out their theories. It’s a very creative language that I have only recently begun to appreciate. The relationship between mathematical concepts and the reality it attempts to describe has led me to pursue deeper understanding about what is real and not real in our virtual era, and I am curious about when these distinctions have meaning and when they don’t.
Barbara Robertson
2008