helenecote

I’ve always preferred to represent the object as a subject on its own rather than in a composition and with this singular focus, I look to bring vitality and visual interest to something as quotidian as a chair, a pot, or in this case, a simple shirt.

I create visual boundaries with line and color only to push through them. When I migrated from silkscreen to painting I continued to use a stencil technique on birch panels, applying flat, hard-edge color shapes to create the 2-D canvas and adding black lines for definition. The color spills out beyond the lines, creating tension, while the lines help guide the viewer's gaze and bring the subject into focus.

To push beyond the physical confinement of the panel I selectively use wire as a transformative element, not only creating an extension of the painted line but also adding a dimension. The wire adds physical depth to the artwork and introduces a collaborative element as it interacts with light. Throughout the day the shadows of the wire shapes shift with the light and alter the perception of the subject. This dynamic interplay between wire, light, shadow, and shape creates energy and an ever-changing experience for the viewer.