*Wood Book*, various printmaking and collage, coptic stitch bound, 10” x 11” closed

WORKS ON PAPER BY GWEN PARTIN

Gwen Partin presents an exhibit of artist's books, collages, drawings and hand-pulled prints full of texture, both real and illusionary.

Exhibition Dates:

February 16 – March 25, 2023

Opening Reception

Sediment 1, drawing with ink, acrylic and colored pencil, 10" x 22"

Saturday, February 18, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Artist’s Talk

Thursday, March 2, 7:00 pm in the Gallery

Artist's Statement

As I pass through this world every day I’m studying the things around me; the crunch under my feet, the waft of air harking a change in season, or a twitter in the bush to be identified. All are clues to where and when I exist. I sense I’m at a kind of zenith in my existence and this passing of time and my part in it is not a thing to be captured with ease. I posit that the work that comes from my hands is a reflection of my study of this phenomena at this moment. It has a sensation of coming through me rather than from me, as if I am a medium of the message you see. With that said, what I set out to make explores the relationship of people and their environment, reflecting on and questioning how humans fit in the schema of nature. This work calls attention to the beauty of the human nature relationship, in the spirit of quiet gratitude. This query provides me a platform for image making in things that interest me; how patterns emerge within natural phenomena as well as those that occur when nature is intervened by human innovation. I’m exploring what’s left behind, what lies at the edges, where human and nature connect, abut, intersect and overlap, the remnants or fossils in nature and the human imprint.

Water Medley, monotype, relief and drypoint print, cut paper and collage, 10" x 22"

The work in Landscapes of Touch interprets various natural elements through a series of artist's books and tandem prints, drawings and collages. The work is meant to be examined closely, including touching. The books are not narrative or sequential though they are composed purposefully for an intimate experience of the content. Viewers are invited to turn pages and experience the sense of the paper and the textures of the embossments and cutouts first hand.

I work in drawing, printmaking and book arts. My work is about interpreting the natural world with a perspective on what we experience in life and includes elements relating to nature, the body, words, texture and pattern. In general I am interested in all aspects of natural history and ecology and often these interests emerge in my work. Textiles are also a big influence on my work, where systems of woven, tiled or tessellated patterns inspire my approach.

Drawing is my pastime, providing a meditative basis to my art practice and forming the seed for further work in printmaking. In printmaking I use monotype, cut paper stencils, relief blocks and collagraph plates. My process involves making matrices that create a lexicon of parts I then collage back together. I began making books when I watched people look through my stacks of drawings. It seemed they could be made into books. I like the intimate connection a book can make, to allow people to touch the pages and feel the textures that the works on paper have. I’m interested in the sequential and interactive the book form embodies.

Artist's Biography

Gwen Partin is a visual artist working in printmaking, drawing, mixed media and book arts. She received her MFA in printmaking from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, and her BA in studio art in printmaking and drawing from Sonoma State University. She is a member of Form+Content Gallery in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis and works from her studio in the Northrup King Building in Northeast Minneapolis. Her work has been in numerous one-person and group exhibitions including The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery, St. Catherine University; the Katherine E. Nash Gallery, University of Minnesota; and the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing at Abbott Northwestern Clinic. Her work is represented in both public and private collections. Prior to turning to a full-time art practice, she was a graphic designer, illustrator and educator.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 12:00 – 6:00 pm

/landscapes-of-touch