Artist Statement
Containment and expansion, chaos and restraint, have been at the
core of my work from its beginning. Within this context, structure
is provided by changing and recurring images emerging out of a field.
Although the images themselves can appear evocative of particular
meaning or symbolism, they are primarily in play as foils for this
contest of expansion and restriction. The images that emerge, sometimes
by choice, sometimes by accident, subsequently reappear over the
years.
But it is the power and place of line that is most central to all
issues in my work. Line and how it plays against and with the layering
and splashing of paint or ink becomes a parallel expression of containment
and expansion. Specifically, line is used to create a structure
to contain. Through my love of drawing and line I have gravitated
more and more towards working on paper and trying to confront the
drawing/painting dichotomy. The melding of drawing and painting
has become a companion issue in my work.
On a more concrete level it would be fair to say that my work also
represents a developmental exploration of abstracted images which
I have approached in one of two ways: working either with multiple
images, exploring their relationships within the picture plane,
or singling out a particular image and pushing it as far as it will
go. In either case this sets up a kind of pictorial narrative either
within the piece or between pieces. As this narrative dynamic unfolds,
it also allows me to explore the complexities of personal process
at its most fundamental level.
Since my work is frequently produced in series, I see the whole
body of work as an ongoing exploration while at the same time each
piece is separate and distinct. However, underlying these explorations
is my engagement with boundary conditions, the unleashing and reining
in, which continues to be the driving force in my work.
Susan Keizer
Davis
2007 |