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Born in New York
City, The Metropolitan Museum was virtually in my backyard, and I
developed an early fascination with its contents. I spent entire
afternoons sequestered away in its remotest rooms, pretending I lived
there, and fantasizing what my life as an artist would be like. This,
continued attempts at making art from an early age, and the
encouragement of a number
of people to whom I owe a debt of gratitude, helped me create a life
focused on art. After earning a masters degree in Asian art history from
the University of Washington, I returned to complete a second graduate
degree, in painting and drawing. I received the support of two
remarkable mentors, Michael Dailey and Michael Spafford, who lived the
possibility of seriously pursuing a career as an artist, while mentoring
students with similar
aspirations |
| My direction in art
has been nourished by exposure to a number of diverse influences,
including finding a longtime mentor and friend in the Japanese art
historian Glenn Webb, who taught me to love Asian art from the heart.
The Pacific Northwest environment that has been my home for thirty
years, extensive travel, and an interest in art of non-western cultures
all effect my perception of how I make art. Artists in history who
inspire me the most include the splash ink painters of the
calligrapher-literati of China and Japan, Chinese landscape painters of
the 13th century, Paul Klee, Matisse, JMW Turner, and Joan Mitchell. |
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Artist's Statement
For a number of years my paintings and drawings have been about (rather
than "of") water. My work is informed by the region in which I live, so
marked by the presence of water that flows both horizontally and
vertically. I am continually fascinated by the dualities of water: its
seeming insubstantiality in its transparency, and yet its presence as a
formidable force; its ability to reflect and simultaneously be
transparent; its seeming permanence, alongside its constant though at
times imperceptible changeability. In so many ways it provides metaphors
for life itself, while satisfying my aesthetic needs as a visual
springboard. I became most acutely aware of this attraction when I was
on, and returning from, a sabbatical in New Mexico in 2002. Driving home
near the Paysaten Wilderness, my heart softened at the sight of water
literally seeping from rock faces, and the impossibly green landscape it
nourished, which I had longed for during the months I spent in the
desert.
The current body of work reflects the above thoughts at play in my
studio. The recent acquisition of a small boat has provided me a way to
spend more time experiencing the water in different ways. I think the
past year's work is about bringing the transition between fresh and salt
water into my studio experience as well. Thus, Tributaries, a passage
from one place to another, and perhaps a tribute as well.
The other, primary influence on my work is the materials themselves. I
love the feel and look of rich charcoal and erasure marks on a piece of paper
and can be emotionally moved by the way certain colors resonate when
placed together. The fact that a multiplicity of marks on a surface can
build to its own inherent meaning holds a rich magic for me. These
predilections keep my one foot planted firmly in the realm of the
abstract, while my other foot dallies in the shallows of various bodies
of water I carry in memory and imagination.
Caryn Friedlander
April 2006
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