Gwen Fabricant

My work begins with my astonishment at the beauty of natural fact.

I work from close observation of objects, in strong daylight, at their actual size. Each object enters the painting when I find it, often as a surprising emblem of raw nature discovered in the context of urban human life. At times I bring objects back to the studio from forays in woods or beach. The condition of the preservation, or of the fragile, changeable nature of the forms being painted, determines the pace of work on the painting. It is generally a slow process.

The compositional unity of these disparate forms takes place gradually, in the course of the painting. Grand forces of gravity, motion, gesture, color and light play out at my will on this intimate scale. An underlying theme of memory, and also an uncanny strangeness, become manifest.”