Wendy Wagner
Artist Statement
I embrace youthful innocence through complex and accomplished artistic methods, both hand-made and high-tech. This has become my distinctive make-believe world that I express in painting, drawing, ceramic, soft sculpture and animation.
There are many things going on in my “world” that I play out intuitively on the canvas with a variety of mediums (pencil, colored pencil, tinted gesso, acrylic paint, oil paint). Working in series, I have themes inspired by my childhood, pets, family, and fantasy. I take these images and transform them into an intimate and surreal vocabulary infused with personal nostalgia and dreaminess.
My current body of work shows the emergence of a bubble shape frame, like a “pow” in a cartoon panel. This shape represents a portal or vignette for portraits, other dimensions, or childhood memories. With a crisp, decorative edge, it brings homage to my graphic design background and interest in children’s cartoons. I am referencing endearing and funny moments from family photographs. These works are about exploring our individual personalities. I show this through a balance of unflinching realism, abstraction, and humor.
This year I have expanded my vocabulary to installation. Making my own patterns and sewing soft sculpture interpretations of elements in my paintings, ceramics and animations creating an entire “wendy world” .
There are many things going on in my “world” that I play out intuitively on the canvas with a variety of mediums (pencil, colored pencil, tinted gesso, acrylic paint, oil paint). Working in series, I have themes inspired by my childhood, pets, family, and fantasy. I take these images and transform them into an intimate and surreal vocabulary infused with personal nostalgia and dreaminess.
My current body of work shows the emergence of a bubble shape frame, like a “pow” in a cartoon panel. This shape represents a portal or vignette for portraits, other dimensions, or childhood memories. With a crisp, decorative edge, it brings homage to my graphic design background and interest in children’s cartoons. I am referencing endearing and funny moments from family photographs. These works are about exploring our individual personalities. I show this through a balance of unflinching realism, abstraction, and humor.
This year I have expanded my vocabulary to installation. Making my own patterns and sewing soft sculpture interpretations of elements in my paintings, ceramics and animations creating an entire “wendy world” .
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