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marcia freedman

artist's statement

The human body has long been my source of inspiration. I am interested in it's use as a vehicle to describe the life cycle. I use it as a metaphor for internal landscapes and external perceptions. It becomes the container for psychological responses that trigger and act as a vehicle to get into a painting and to describe and give form to my own reality. The forms are used to create an alphabet of symbols that inform the work and give shape to life situations. Multiple readings are investigated so that evolving imagery is abstract and open to different interpretations.

The paintings focus on psychological inwardness, relationships and changes that take place in the human body due to the effects of the environment or heredity manifested in disease. I use medical textbooks, anatomy books, photographs and memories as a source, but soon, working intuitively, abandon the specificity of them, in favor of letting the painting process dictate the way.

Landscape is also playing a roll in the sources I use. I look for figurative elements in organic form like plants and rocks. I am interested in combining elements of both.

Rooted in the tradition of the figure, the physicality of the paint joined with the symbols is a narrative or dialogue between self and materials, revealing a personal history, yet remain ambiguous, mysterious and prevent a concrete objective reading of the work.

The resultant images are mostly abstract but in fact, based on the constant inquiry into the reality of life experience.