Artist Statement

I am intrigued with exploring the unconscious, both as an artist and a Jungian psychologist, and that is what I paint about. Accessing what lies beneath the surface; what can often be felt but not named. Over time, my work has moved on a continuum from figurative to nonobjective. My paintings are frequently process pieces about life events or places I have been, recently my Dad's death, or even more recently, being in the Amazon. Sometimes seeing what emerges on a series of canvases reminds me of watching clouds change and move across the sky. Other times it feels like going deep inside, like a dream within a dream, and pulling something up that is undifferentiated until it is worked with. I believe in holding space for the form that emerges. I rarely know what I am painting until I have finished.

Formally, color pleases me. Paint strokes and gestures are also important, and content often becomes secondary. The way a mark is made suggests a mood, and tells a story. My canvas size has grown smaller - perhaps indicating a need to experience containment. Working on a small defined space feels grounding, which seems to encourage a greater sense of freedom of expression.

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www.deborahbryon.com