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Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 22.2 (2001) 174-181



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Artist Statement: Running Around in Circles

Lynn Wiley


I have made monotypes for years; I must have created hundreds of them. Monotypes are immediate and frequently spontaneous. The artists who I admire are painters and also printmakers, among them Nathan Olivera and Rembrandt. These artists are passionately engaged with the substance of paint, its texture and pigment, and in the process of painting and printmaking. I am interested in monotypes because they are an extension of painting and because they constantly surprise me. They subvert my intentions and give me new fodder for my imagination. Monotypes and the printing process allow me to quite literally layer space; I can generate images and engage in the process of constant revision.

The work I do partly refers back to a childhood pleasure of creating an internal world in which my characters can tell their "story." This world, for me, is partially about putting emotions into a visual and symbolic form. I find that statement outrageous and bold. How do I do such a thing? It is also delicious because I like the questions I ask myself as I work. Can I pull this off? Are the colors, shapes, and configuration as strong, as full as they could be? What if I reached a littler further? Am I generous enough? What is the feeling that comes off the surface? Is it fun? Is it energetic? Is the color in service of the concept? Do I want to visit this place? I'm always on the edge of a new discovery and therein lies the adventure. I find that postmodernism is often pessimistic and brutal. My cast of characters is optimistic; there is a purpose to their journey. The truth found might be an imperfect truth, but it is worth the running around in circles to find it.

 



One Runner and Her Spirit in Red, Yellow, and Blue, monotype, 18" x 20" [End Page 175]

 

Spirit Dog with Circles, monotype, 18" x 20" [End Page 176]

 

Running in the Searchlight, monotype, 18" x 20" [End Page 177]

 

Another Run Around, monotype, 18" x 20" [End Page 178]

 

Snake in the Grass, monotype, 18" x 20" [End Page 179]

 

Riding in the Auto Body, monotype, 18" x 20" [End Page 180]

 

Waving Blue, monotype, 18" x 20"

 

 



Lynn Wiley received a M.F.A. degree in painting and printmaking from Montana State University. Her work has been exhibited in several solo, group, and juried shows in the United States. She teaches at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon.

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