Mary Porterfield

In the Valley of Me
charcoal and pastel on paper
59 x 31 in.

Drawing allows me to bring organization to situations I feel to be fractured and chaotic. My experience as an occupational therapist has been influential on my artwork. Through drawing, I find myself exploring my own personal struggle to separate myself from the tragedies of my patients. I reference natural disasters and fragmented landscapes to represent situations I find to be uncontrollable.

Japanese wood block prints have influenced my use of multiple, altered perspectives. The invented spaces that result symbolize my discomfort with my inability to resolve the uncontrollable and my desire for detachment.

© Mary Porterfield