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Susan Venable for Maienza - Wilson (Detail)
Recycled….reused….green….eco-friendly….no
matter what you call it, Susan Venable’s art fits the bill. For the past 25
years, she has worked in line with her environmental concerns, in a way that
treads lightly but shines boldly. Her steel and copper bas-reliefs have been placed in large
public spaces as well as intimate alcoves. Using steel and copper from re-cycled sources she creates
works of art that bring light and interest to the human environment. Susan is one of our favorite artists and is based in Santa Barbara, CA.
Susan Venable"Zen Saga"
Non-objective
and reductive in approach, she “weaves” recycled copper wire in the grids using
an ancient Peruvian technique and creating something entirely unique. They are an exploration of structure,
surface, materials, and the relationship between them. Copper is one of the earliest known substances used in art making. There is a wonderful paradox in the use of this ancient earthy material, expressed in a space age form: blending the idea of art and technology….past and future.
“My inquiry is on a perceptual level, to
elicit an abstract response from the viewer. Not to recall a specific place or object, but to create a
transcendent reality. To remind without being specific…..to be contemplative
and serene.”
Susan Venable "Fire Mirage"
Each
piece consists of thousands of copper wires, which catch the natural as well as
the artificial light to produce a shimmering effect. The copper wires appearing as thousands of gestural lines,
creating a meditative field. Some pieces include non-objective oil + wax paintings. ...To
quote Orville Clarke: “Susan Venable’s art plays with our perceptions. Constructed of copper wire tied to
steel grids, looking soft and sensuous, her pieces are actually hard….the
surfaces appear to move with the breeze, however they are static. Their structures and colors give the illusion
of natural fabric, yet they are all man-made. The paradox emerges, for gestural implies quick rapid
probing of the unconscious while her methods are slow and deliberate, more akin
to Zen than action painting.”
Susan Venable Moanalani Installation
Acutely
aware of further impacting a degrading and exploitive environment, all of the
metals are fabricated of recycled material, the bees-wax is a renewable
resource, and the painted surfaces are on reclaimed wood. To
achieve an expressive and original art form, while being sensitive to the
impact of manufactured art materials is a challenge she enthusiastically
embraces. Here is a link to Susan's Site.
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