Artist Statement
I have been exploring monotype printmaking for many years. A monotype is a single print taken from a design created in printing ink on a flat glass surface. The design can be printed on a press or by hand. The monotype process attracts me because of its indirect method of producing a printed image that leads to elements of surprise, no matter how much I plan. Making a monotype in particular, is also akin to collaging, painting, and drawing on paper that I love. Using assorted collage materials…pieces of patterned fabric, textured papers, and photographs along with colored pencils and crayons, I create one-of-a kind mixed media prints.
My images are inspired by memories of childhood, of experiences with family and friends, as well as with ancestors I have only met through photographs. I give new life to ancestral photographs by bringing them out of a box or album into the present. A recent series of works I call Reminiscences can be likened to daydreams, meditations, and doodles. They are shapes, textures, words, and patterns that come together in visual form. The meaningful materials that I own or have collected that I incorporate into my prints gives them new life and energy. Combining pieces of memories with contemporary processes and materials intrigues me. Among the artists whose work I admire are Betty Saar, Miriam Schapiro, Faith Ringgold, Alma Thomas and quilters, past and present who are too numerous to names.
The circle has become an important symbol that I’ve given prominence in many of my prints. It connects to memories of my grandmother using needle, thread, and thimble to gather 3” fabric circles called yo-yo’s that were later connected to make a bedspread. The contrast of the quiet, natural country environment where my grandparents lived (on a farm), and the urban city where I grew up continue to intrigue me. Patterned wallpaper with photographs of family, the Singer sewing machine operated with a foot pedal, chickens in the yard, and frogs and turtles in a brook behind the house reflect experiences that I nurture.
Through my work I empower memories that tell stories…my art becomes the bridge that connects the past with the present and reaches into the future.
phyllisidella@yahoo.com