Before long, I felt the need to find an alternative for
my family photos and searched for photographs
from the same era. As I began to collect vintage
photographs, I was struck by the finality of their
discard. When the last person that remembers
these castaways is deceased; all memory of them
is gone. This notion of the untended became an
obsession for me and over the years I have amassed
a rather large collection of unwanted, orphaned
photographs. This examination is motivated by a
wish to reclaim these lost and forgotten souls by
re-imagining their biographies.
Portfolio
Marybeth Rothman
The integration of encaustic, photography and
collage in my work occurred simultaneously as a
dialogue developed among these elements. The
mixed media approach to my work is both additive
and subtractive; employing many subtle layers to
form an amalgam of biographical texture. The facial
expression and posture of the figure in my photographs
influence my palette, lines and marks that
I use to create the narrative abstract drawings and
paintings. As I continue to work, these disparate
elements have begun to transcend the physical
attributes of the materials and become one brush
for me to paint portraits of strangers.
Lillian, 40”x40”, 2012.
Mattie, 40”x40”, 2012.
With respect to a series of paintings, the images I
choose are initially selected individually.
Over time, the juxtaposition of the photos on my
worktable, a swatch of paint, or a sketch initiates
a conversation among these elements. A series
emerges. I work on three or four paintings simultaneously
to insure a sense of visual and narrative
continuity. In the series presented here, The Pilgrim
Lake Library Committee, these portraits are tied
together by an imagined geographic location and
cultural bond.
While I have not touched oil paint in over ten years
and have deeply immersed myself in the use of
encaustic in my studio practice; I do not consider
myself to be an “encaustic artist”. I believe this quite
popular designation and view of oneself, can only
limit my expression and interaction with practitioners
of other art forms.
Summer
32
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