My work is an inquiry into the physical and intellectual processes of pictorial perception. I rely on a complex ordering of form and color to create elaborate visual scenarios that appear to be to be in continual flux. Although historical and cultural influences have informed my work, charts that test for colorblindness served as my initial inspiration. I find a certain irony in this source, as the charts are quite beautiful in their own right, and the viewer is persuaded into a longer examination in order to “read” their content. As an artist, I question the possibility of slowing down the viewer’s gaze by creating an image that requires careful engagement. Consequently when works are viewed collectively, they reveal color nuances only gradually. There is little evidence of pictorial hierarchy in my imagery. Instead the optical effects create an entirely ambiguous space, both undermining and heightening our desire for logic and order. My vocabulary of small circular shapes is meant to evoke a sense of playfulness, while also reflecting a certain temporality of appearances. In this way meaning might manifest itself in a sense of time and place.

Melissa Earley Axel Forrester Darlene FuhstBeth MarcumDeb Massa Erin MooreJJ Ohlinger Debbie PaganoAnnDouglas Pinckney-McLeod Judy Verhoeven Enid WilliamsPaul Yanko.