ARTIST STATEMENT
Tricia Townes makes works that seek to heal herself and various communities that matter to her. She began working with what is now an ongoing series of artworks with her family and friends as subjects. Townes describes her family as a “normal dysfunctional” one in need of healing, begging for psychological analysis. This work is a moving target, and probably will never be completed to her satisfaction. Townes has described the family unit as the first and most intimate microcosm of the larger communities that exist in the world. She has made and is in the process of making socially engaged artworks that focus on healing aspects of some larger communal issues including redlining, “urban renewal,” urban food deserts, and the tragic legacy of slavery. She also creates work that is about the healing, spiritual qualities of the pleasure garden. These spaces can be very meditative and refreshing for the human spirit. They serve as contemplative spaces where Nature is aligned with the human artistic impulse in a co-creative way.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Tricia Townes makes work to heal herself and others. Her goal is to universalize common experiences of dysfunction and unease in order to heal them. Specifically, Townes produces psychological portraits of friends and family members, socially engaged artworks, and compositions of designs from marginalized cultures that position them as first-class US citizens.
Townes has an MFA from UNC-Greensboro. She lives and works in Nashville, Tennessee, and has exhibited in Miami, New York, and Chicago. Townes has also participated in residencies at Skowhegan, The Fine Arts Work Center, and MassMoCA, among others.
© Tricia Lynn Townes