RUTHE GUERRY

ARTIST STATEMENT

My work explores the awkward and slightly absurd. The technique I am using is called Serigraphy, which simply means screen printing. I have a stencil printed on a mesh screen and I squeegee ink through the mesh to make my image. It usually consists of several different layers of ink. I am usually drawn to mixed media because of the layering I get to do. I enjoy the process of collecting different things that one would normally not find together, and arranging them in a way that is interesting. Serigraphy provides the opportunity to take my mixed media process and translate it into a two dimensional print.

The process I use for this series is the same I use for any mixed media piece. I search through thrift stores and antique malls for interesting and sometimes awkward photographs and images as well as search for images online. Once I find several I’m happy with, I scan them into Photoshop to edit and manipulate the chosen images and arrange and rearrange them into my final layout. The images are then printed on a series of transparencies and with the use of photo emulsion, printed on my screen, then I squeegee ink through the screen multiple times to make my final print.

My prints play around with the idea of space. There is a central image as the focus, and the background is a flat color with very little done to it. One of my major influences is Terry Gilliam of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and I believe that is evident in a few of my prints. Another major influence for me is Joseph Cornell. He takes items that are mundane or odd and arranges them and puts them on display to make them important and precious. For my prints, I try to find images that are odd, unusual, or boring and arrange them in a new and fun way that will make the viewer take a second look. I feel like the art world can be so serious sometimes; I just want to make art that makes me smile.

Artist Statement

Rebecca McGavock

I graduated from the W in December, 2013, with a BFA in painting and drawing. All my pieces in this show have been created post-graduation. Building a unified body of work has been challenging because I want to do so many things. Instead of forcing myself to focus on just one subject matter or medium, I’ve worked in an almost stream of consciousness direction. This will, I hope, prevent me from limiting future paths my work could take.

My main focus is on precise representation and light passing over form. I love the human figure, especially faces; each one is a new puzzle with its own beauty. Terry Strickland and Jason Bouldin are two portrait artists that I truly admire. Their works both capture realism in a painterly way that does not compete with photography. Strickland’s work often references narratives from literature, whereas Bouldin has a more documentary style. I recently opened up a portrait studio. It’s been a lot of work, and somewhat scary, but I really enjoy it and hope that one day I can be as established as Strickland and Bouldin.