Co Creative Center New Bedford
Arts organization
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Ann-Marie Gillett – Opening Reception
April 13, 2023 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
“A flower is relatively small. Everyone has many associations with a flower—the idea of flowers…….Still—in a way nobody sees a flower—really—it is so small—we haven’t time—and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.
…. So I said to myself—I’ll paint what I see…..I’ll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking the time to look at it. I will make even busy New Yorkers take time to see what I see of flowers.”
—Georgia O’Keeffe 1927 excerpted from Georgia O’Keeffe, Viking Press
I read that statement many years ago and it has been a constant refrain that takes on even more meaning as time passes. To take the time to see, to observe closely, seems to be an act that is becoming more compromised by the increasing allure of screens in our lives. I am not immune to the charms of the visual gratification they can bring, but, ultimately, the need to pause and closely observe my surroundings is always the stronger instinct.
My work uses a variety of art processes and currently is often created with a painted tape collage technique that originated from a practice of masking out and building up surfaces while painting. I now paint artist tape in a variety of graduated colors, patterns and textures and use them as my palette. Graphite, colored pencils, Posca markers and charcoal are additionally used to develop my images. Recently, I have discovered cyanoptype printing and use that as a starting point for some of my imagery. The methodical cutting and arranging this technique demands complements the way I prefer to let an image grow organically and tap into unconscious influences. My work grows from my life-long fascination and close observation of the natural world with its ever-changing color relationships, patterns and visual rhythms. Work is suggestive of my surroundings, sometimes using color in way that reflects my emotional connection to a subject, or is a more literal interpretation of my interaction and impressions of my surroundings. Ultimately, I want my work to call attention to the small inconsequential things that can easily be overlooked and compel the viewer to see them in a new way.
