ARTIST STATEMENT
Time seems to move more quickly now. As decades roll by, a sense of my own mortality grows. Climate change, a global pandemic, and our current political unrest add dark notes to daily life. Tipping points are everywhere. I long for simplicity. I crave moments of stillness.
In my recent work, I express my need for stillness by incorporating more open space. But this space is not empty. It holds my thoughts and feelings about impermanence, the role memory plays, the need for us to tell our stories and leave our marks. Layers of oil mixed with cold wax form a history. Circular shapes convey the cyclical nature of life and our human connections. Scribbles (Asemic writing) suggest language and communication. Rectangles act as mirrors and frames for memories.
I am deeply inspired by the fact that all life on Earth is connected at an atomic level, and always in motion. When I paint, I am inside the space between, in motion, riding rhythms. I want to fold into a wavelength and feel its frequency as it vibrates from one point in time and space to the next. I am moving along edges, exploring the energy of connection.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Cynthia J. Lee
. straddles two centuries
. has roots in New England and the Midwest
. left her small town for the city as soon as she could
. has a master’s degree in social policy from the University of Chicago
. is a self-taught artist
. likes to travel between the left and right sides of her brain
. loves color and texture in art, nature, music
. wishes she could eat everything she likes and stay thin
. swims to restore soul and body
. is passionately interested in the sciences
. watches a lot of documentaries and foreign films
. despite seven years of voice lessons, sings (and dances) only in her studio
. worked for two state bureaucracies, an academic think tank, three marketing firms
. deeply appreciates all of her senses, especially humor
. has written plays and published poetry
. served on the boards of a medical center and a school district
. now has her art in twenty states and two foreign countries
. is thrilled to have arrived in abstract art, where all parts of her life are finally home
© Cynthia J. Lee