Claire Thorson
My works moves between abstraction and figuration though figurative imagery is implicit in most of the work. It makes use of strong color and broad paint handling. Surfaces are heavily worked; paint is heavily applied. Most of my paintings are 5 x 4 feet or a similar size, which affords a sense of human scale. I often work in suites of 2-5 paintings, which are connected by formal visual elements and narrative. The narrative qualities in the work are not often explicit. Of a recent series, I wrote:
"When I paint, I feel like I’m at the wall of existence. What I put or find on that wall is never whole. At one time, the stories may have been known and visible-- but now parts of the story are lost. Just traces, just gestures remain."
My work as an artist is to make meaning of events around me. The currents and struggles of these times are compelling as they are troubling, but they are not unprecedented. Through drawing and painting I address the temporal and the enduring. I respond with inquiry; I reflect on complicity, solicitude, and change.
For more information about Claire Thorson, please visit her website.