Artist's Statement
I delight in visually dancing to the rhythm and repetition of colors, tones and patterns.
On the same visual note, when I went to an exhibition of my paintings a few years ago, I
was happily surprised that a harpist was playing at the opening. I asked why the gallery
chose a harpist and the director said that he felt the music in my paintings.
My expression is twofold. It is both an appreciation of the connection of all things and
being friends with the paradox of the unknown. My work is a contemplation of
opposing forces I see evidenced in my own existence—dark-light, stillness-movement,
good-evil, life-death, young-old … What captivates me is not the opposition but the
binary connection, the negotiation, the earthly eternal grey between opposites that we
struggle with daily. I enjoy the relationship in the ever present NOW that keeps duality
fluid and not so obviously unrelated. The NOW of indecision and possibility is the
realm of my fascination and contemplation.
I see in the naked faces of people an expression of all the subtleties of life and am
moved by every detail of the human face. This lifelong fascination with faces naturally
has led me to portrait commissions, which are an important part of my work. When I
create a portrait, I feel free to go beyond the surface, catching the spirit and charisma
of an individual. My inspiration comes from Picasso for his spontaneity and prolific
mastery of all mediums, Gustav Klimt for his sensuous images, and Toulouse Lautrec
for capturing the individual human essence.
To keep the sense of discovery alive and exciting, I interchange between painting and
sculpture. Sculpting helps me paint—painting helps me sculpt. Each art piece is a
journey from my original intention, mapping my thought processes, capturing dreams
and discovering the final piece via unforeseeable bypaths & detours.
Elaine King, (nationally renowned critic and curator, and Associate Professor of Critical
Theory & History of Art at Carnegie Mellon University) crystallizes my intent in her
comment on my recent artwork, “I like the blend of serious issues, real technique and
a sense of humor.”
Carolyn Guerra