Marie Bergstedt

Come, Freddie
mixed media relief
52 x 16 x 1 in.

Intense experiences with diverse personalities drive my vision and determine the face of my artwork. How do the individuals that I encounter tackle the art of living? Can I present a visual story worthy of his or her character? Will my images connect viewers with their own narrative and spark new ideas? Facing this challenge I structure my stories using a combination of old and found goods with new handwork. Materials formerly used or made by others represent the past and memories. New handwork leads to the present. The methods are traditional, time consuming, often tedious, and frequently dependent on creating new ways to engineer a contemporary art presentation.  My work, which is always about people but may be depicted in ordinary objects, often conveys a visual/mental dissonance, which has been a fundamental element of my life experience. I believe the artwork is most successful when this discord stimulates viewers to think about what lies below the surface.