Deb Guenther
Artist Statement
Using acrylic paints, stencils, stamps and collage materials I build rapid, gestural layers and colors without a goal in mind. Once a cacophony emerges I imagine a special place or memory to build a loose composition through reduction. By blocking out abstract shapes and forms I hope to prompt people to bring and build their own stories.
Anything that represents a beloved community is a source of inspiration for me - as far flung as the mudflats of the Nisqually River; a tavern in northern Michigan, my home state; a Ross Gay poem "To the Fig Tree at 9th and Christian"; and families of Cooper's Hawks traced by the birders of the Seattle Urban Raptor Conservancy.
Artist Bio
I started abstract painting, collage and mixed media during the pandemic and got excited about ways an artistic practice can connect me to others in the community. Trained and practicing as a landscape architect, I have always been interested in how conceptual ideas land in physical space - especially how abstract ideas become launching points for how people can experience the same space or thing differently. After visiting family in West Seattle for over 30 years we moved here from downtown in 2023. Having space for an artist studio prompted me to host monthly art sessions with friends. I am always inspired and enriched by the myriad of ways we all start with the same materials and techniques and end up with such diverse expressions. I also offer my work at auctions to support local community organizations and have exhibited at Mithun, an interdisciplinary design firm that hosts a rotating art gallery and holds an annual art show of staff work. I am looking forward to expanding my art practice and connection with the art community.