Trade #7: Susan Constanse

It is with great pleasure that I announce trade #7 of the bARTer project. Below are two beautiful works from Pittsburgh, PA artist Susan Constanse, traded for John M. Adams' lovely painting:

TB107
Charcoal on wood
10" x 11"

TB114
Charcoal on wood
10" x 11"

Susan provided me with a brief statement about the series of work from which these two pieces came, The Shadow Series:

This portfolio contains work whose common theme is shadow. Some of the works are figurative. Most are mixed medium, incorporating charcoal, pastel, acrylic paint and gesso on a variety of substrates. I have always found shadows a fascinating subject.

Imagine shadow as a metaphor for experience. Not just any shadow, but the shadows cast by living trees in all their seasons. Events that happened long ago cast the faintest shadow. But in some places the shadows are so thick that the original pattern of leaf and branch is no longer discernible. Experiences that are numerous, related, blend to such a degree that you can no longer see the original incident as separate but only as reinforcing the subsequent, similar experiences.

The numbered pieces in this series were created at several sites in Pittsburgh; along the Allegheny River, near Washington’s Landing Bridge, the Phipp's Conservatory and in the rooftop garden at the Brew House, an artists’ collective on Pittsburgh’s Southside. Traced from cast shadows or rendered plein-air, the works reflect the tranquility in these refuges from a busy metropolis. The concept I am exploring in this series is an internal one of seeking respite. Rendering the patterns created by light and shadow reduces the complex subtleties of overlapping leaves, but allows an appreciation of the shape as an abstraction. I believe names would bring precision to a subject that is inherently random, so I have chosen to leave the works untitled.

Additionally, Susan tells me about a few exciting projects coming up for her:

Upcoming events Lawrenceville Studio Tour, October 7&8, 2006 Blogger Exhibit, Digging Pitt Gallery, 2007

Also, Susan shared that she was awarded a Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation grant in 2006.

Here is an installation photo showing some of the Shadow Series displayed in her last solo show in March 2006 at Digging Pitt Gallery in Pittsburgh:

I think these two pieces are quite powerful in how they merge form with material. The installation photo hints at how fantastic they will look hung together. It is with that in mind that I selected one light and one dark piece. If you would like to bARTer for Susan's works, please let me know via comment or email.