Invited artist:TAMMY HARRINGTON

BLOOM

intaglio print, paper cut, resin, wood

 

My artwork is influenced by the Chinese folk art of paper cut. The crisp graphic appearance of paper cut appeals to my sensibility as a printmaker. This work is a blending of my interpretations of traditional Chinese designs into personalized figurative compositions. Initially in the print work, the paper cut designs appeared as textures and patterns that melded with the figure. I took the next step and actually cut into the paper and printed surface. The combination of the paper cut with other media shifts the idea of space to be both dimensional and flat. The use of pattern (printed and cut out) depicts the figure as it exists in an ephemeral state, in a place between reality and the mystical. The delicate lines merge with bold shapes and color to create visual movement and vibration. The combination and interaction of the layers of paper cuts create complex and unpredictable visual space and depth.

Often times, the still figure seems to exist in a state of chaos and commotion as if she is caught in turbulent waves or stormy winds. Patterns and imagery attach themselves to the figure and surround it at the same time. These patterns represent the duality of my existence as a Chinese American. Depending on the moment, I teeter between how Chinese and how American I am and how this ratio of cultural identity is perceived by others. My physical appearance, my actions, and the way I speak are judged and evaluated. The red latticework is the stable entity, the geometric severity straining to contain the visual hodgepodge. My work represents my history and the journey of who I am: my past, my present, and where I may go.