Madeline Adams
info@madelineadams.com
www.madelineadams.com
Philadelphia, PA
info@madelineadams.com
www.madelineadams.com
Philadelphia, PA
Artist Statement:
In the natural world, I am drawn to moments of
repetition: a grid of windows on a building or the
shadows made from leaves on a tree, the line
made by traffic lights down a dark road, the
groupings of pastries in a bakery window, or even
the whispers of conversations in a crowded room.
The objects being observed become the focal
point within the context of the frenetic world
surrounding it.
My work becomes the dialogue within visual and
human relationships and the idiosyncrasies of
individual details. There is a specificity within the
paintings, drawings and prints due to the fact that
every mark is made by my own hand. A slight
element of craft and precision exists. Although
most marks are deliberate, mistakes do occur
and are gladly welcomed. A drip, a splatter, a
scratch on an etched plate's surface or an
unexpected color grouping may end up being the
jumping off point for my next piece.
Although primarily a painter, I've been
experimenting with various forms of printmaking
and other media. Through living and traveling
around the world, I've been able to observe
different cultures and bring those experiences
and memories back into the studio. Using
transparencies and opacities, color, and layering,
details are either blurred or pronounced,
intentionally concealing or explicitly revealing
unsuspected moments: an idea of having noticed
something that you're not supposed to, or not
noticing something that is blatantly obvious.
Once my paintings leave my studio, they are then
caught up in the complex relationship of viewer
and image, and vice versa. The viewer brings
their own visual history to the images in return.
In the natural world, I am drawn to moments of
repetition: a grid of windows on a building or the
shadows made from leaves on a tree, the line
made by traffic lights down a dark road, the
groupings of pastries in a bakery window, or even
the whispers of conversations in a crowded room.
The objects being observed become the focal
point within the context of the frenetic world
surrounding it.
My work becomes the dialogue within visual and
human relationships and the idiosyncrasies of
individual details. There is a specificity within the
paintings, drawings and prints due to the fact that
every mark is made by my own hand. A slight
element of craft and precision exists. Although
most marks are deliberate, mistakes do occur
and are gladly welcomed. A drip, a splatter, a
scratch on an etched plate's surface or an
unexpected color grouping may end up being the
jumping off point for my next piece.
Although primarily a painter, I've been
experimenting with various forms of printmaking
and other media. Through living and traveling
around the world, I've been able to observe
different cultures and bring those experiences
and memories back into the studio. Using
transparencies and opacities, color, and layering,
details are either blurred or pronounced,
intentionally concealing or explicitly revealing
unsuspected moments: an idea of having noticed
something that you're not supposed to, or not
noticing something that is blatantly obvious.
Once my paintings leave my studio, they are then
caught up in the complex relationship of viewer
and image, and vice versa. The viewer brings
their own visual history to the images in return.
| "Two in one (b)," 2008, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches |
| "I used to play the french horn," 2007, oil on canvas, 34 x 40 inches |
| "Two in one (c)," 2008, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches |
| "Everyone deals with rejection differently," 2007, oil on canvas, 36 x 40 inches |
| "R,3,P,1,4,a (bk)," 2008, lithograph & drypoint, image 4-1/2 x 9 inches |
| "To do list," 2008, pencil on paper, 22-1/2 x 30 inches |