As the times sweep by, we focus on a visually interesting and abstract structure of the ongoing Carbon Snaps exhibition. However, instead of focusing on the pieces themselves, we shall be examining and learning about what drives the artists to create such aesthetics and they’re creative process. Two artists in the exhibition, Jen McCleary and Donna Sensor Thomas, explain their artistic practices.
InLiquid: What was the primary inspiration for creating some of the pieces shown in the carbon snap exhibition and making them so aesthetically pleasing? Also do you have any plans for participating in any future pieces for any upcoming events?
Jen McCleary: Most of my work, including these pieces, are created through a process of exploration and creative play with different materials rather than setting out with a particular concept in mind. Usually pieces evolve over time as I add and remove materials. I usually start a piece by painting a background color, and each element that is added is in reaction to the previous elements. Gradually the elements come together to form a harmonious whole, and sometimes the process feels like putting together a puzzle. Some of these pieces are the largest mixed-media collages I’ve ever created. I usually prefer to work small, and collage lends itself to that sort of work because of limits to the size of paper elements. Working larger forced me to think of new ways to fill up the space, in particular by adding more patterned or hand-drawn elements.
Donna Sensor Thomas: My primary inspiration is an interest in color and rhythm. I explore these primarily by the repetition of lines and grids. I’ve done a mini-series that is named after places I’ve visited. Rome can be seen in this exhibit. Array and Counterpoint were created using markers to create lines on a large piece of paper. After that, I cut the paper into squares which I then rearranged in an order that I found pleasing. Positive Vibrations is a stand-alone op art (short for optical art) piece in which I wanted to create a visual vibration. Vibrations are created by using colors opposite the color wheel in similar saturations of color. This piece adds the optical illusion of the triangles creating a cube. In Six Degrees of Rotation, 19 Days, and Grey Scale 75 I explored the grid but wanted to shake it up a bit, so I rotated it. Each piece uses 15 colors. The numbers in the names of the pieces refer to the degree that each piece was rotated.
Carbon Snaps also includes the artists Ellen Abraham, Kellianne Mccarthy, and Robert Solomon.
