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THE ART OF SHARON WEGNER • Early Works • Recent Works • About Me

Artist's Statement

 

In oversimplified terms, the main subject matter of my work can be described as the relationship between man and nature.  The possibilities within this broad category are limitless: politics, scientific and technological development, corporate culture, advertising and consumerism, and human beliefs, knowledge, and attitudes are just a few of the issues that pop up frequently in my paintings as I search for some kind of truth or meaning in American society.  You need not have an extensive knowledge of art history or theory to understand my work as I am more influenced by current events, science, and personal observations from everyday living.  Though I have specific meanings for each of my pieces, my thinking is very postmodern in that it is up to you, each viewer, to participate and make your own associations, ultimately forming your own unique meaning from the clues I give you.  The subjectivity of meaning becomes a part of the meaning itself, addressing the psychology and nature of the viewer and in this way including you in the piece.

 

Oil paint is my medium of choice but acrylic has recently become a close second as I’ve worked with it more.  I’m equally comfortable making anything from wall-sized paintings to miniatures.  I think about the meaning of the piece and how I’d like viewers to react when deciding on the size for a particular work.  Large pieces are more likely to inspire a sense of wonder but can also be overwhelming or preachy.  Small works are easy to overlook but are very intimate since a person has to stand so close to see.  My most personal subject matter tends to show up in my smaller pieces while larger works are often more political.

 

I employ a wide variety of painting techniques and try not to limit myself within a specific category or style.  I enjoy experimenting with everything that paint can be pushed to do: form the illusion of a 3-dimensional object or space, be thick enough to actually be 3-dimensional, be thin enough to flow and drip, or simply be flat enough to show the true 2-dimensional surface of the canvas/paper.  I’ve also been exploring collage and found objects to enhance the depth and meaning.  One thing nearly all my paintings have in common is layers.  Even small pieces have a minimum of about ten transparent or semi-transparent layers that are important to the meaning as well as the color luminosity.  I want the viewer to get a sense of the process and a feeling of time passing by seeing each layer, if only a tiny glimpse of it.  I think that a painting is more understandable when the structure and development can be seen.  How much of each layer I paint over or allow to show through is an intuitive process that builds to the finished composition.  Ultimately, I let the subject matter of an individual piece dictate the method and style in which the paint is applied and when it is finished.