“In these uncertain times, when we so often feel like riders on the storm, I have found calm, solace and peace by entering the beautifully ordered world of geometric abstraction. Making the work presented in this series has served as a drawing and darkroom mantra for me.
I lose myself as I draw with graphite and ink on a variety of papers to create paper negatives. I use different papers for my drawings in order to play with the texture achieved in my photographic prints. Next, I descend to the darkroom, where I make contact prints with my drawings and then watch them magically appear on the gelatin silver paper in the developer. After I have stopped the development, I will often oxidize the photographic prints to give them the appearance of having been aged by time. To do this, I expose my prints to light before placing them in the fixer. Once the prints have been washed and dried, I return to the light to draw on them again with some combination of graphite, colored pencil, ink, chalk or pastels.
Experimentation, improvisation and intuition play major roles in my creative process. I try to let go of my desire to control and just go with what is happening in the moment. Throughout the process of making these prints, I try to embrace what may first appear as mistakes to me, for many of these “mistakes” often lead me in unexpected and happy directions. I am never certain what the end result of this process will be, but I love the ride that gets me there.”
Patricia Bender
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Thank you Patricia. To learn more about the work of Patricia A. Bender please click on her name.
Featured comments.
“Magnificent work…thanks for sharing it…” Robert Sadler
“Patricia is one of my favorite artists. I love her intuitive process and sense of design and composition, simplicity yet complexity. Thank you for sharing her work.” Fran Forman
Magnificent work…thanks for sharing it…
Patricia is one of my favorite artists. I love her intuitive process and sense of design and composition, simplicity yet complexity. Thank you for sharing her work.
Truly gorgeous work, visually and conceptually. Thank you.