BY COLLEEN BLACKARD
My work combines natural, celestial and man-made elements in occasionally surreal compositions to explore light, memory, consciousness and change. My signature style uses continuous, circular, intersecting lines to create a luminosity that clarifies the subject and gives life to every detail. Whether in ballpoint pen, archival marker, ink washes, or monotype, I am constantly pushing the envelope on the types of atmospheres and effects I can create with these dynamic lines and their interstitial light.
For the last four years, I’ve been creating the “Abandoned Series.” Based on my early childhood perceptions of emotional abandonment, the series explores the dramatic journey from separation to connection, as personified by the trials of an abandoned barn. Even when all hope is dashed by hurricane waves, it still discovers its inner light and place in the universe.
I use light to evoke the emotional journey, making my circular style more expressive. I built a small-scale model of the barn and used dramatic lighting to express the emotions embodied in the series. I created a series of monotypes and watercolors using this model as reference, exploring new methods to liberate myself from technical and representational constraints.
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Paths of Memory, 2012
Ballpoint pen on gessoed wood
33"x42"
Wake, 2010
Ballpoint on paper
20"x16"
Wish, 2013
Ballpoint pen on paper
10"x8"
Important, 2015-2016
Ink and watercolor on paper
120"x96"
New Growth, 2017
Monotype on paper
8"x10"
From Austin, Texas, Colleen Blackard is based in Brooklyn, NY and creates drawings inspired by the light of the Texas night skies of her youth. She received a BA from Hampshire College, MA, and her drawings have been shown in London, Moscow, Tokyo, New York City, and more. Her work has been featured in such venues as Fountain Art Fair, ACA Galleries, Rush Arts Gallery, Family Business Gallery, Owen James Gallery, and Brooklyn Fire Proof. She was featured in the Brooklyn episode of the Japanese travel show, Hotel no Madokora, and is represented by ISSO Gallery in Tokyo, and Aberson Exhibits in Tulsa, OK. Her drawings are in Pierogi Gallery's Flat Files in NYC, and she was interviewed for their Artist's Q&A. Her work is featured in the current publication of Drawing Magazine, with an interview published on their website: Why Colleen Blackard is an Artist to Watch.