Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Painting by Gretchen Batcheller
Current
Works
(select a thumbnail below to see the large version here)
MFA Thesis
Tyler School of Art
The city intrigues me. It always has.
This appeal stems from a deep-rooted interest in the relationship between structure
and place, rational and irregular. Painting is a manifestation of thought,
memory and impression of these relationships. Color, movement and layering
are the vocabulary I employ to interpret these impressions. Sometimes
their interactions are simplified and harmonious, and at others they are chaotic
and dissonant.
Philadelphia’s rich visual texture fluctuates between layers of growth, depression,
and renewal. I have both a healthy respect and a fear of these layers. It
is not primarily a sense of curiosity that keeps me looking, but the hope of
finding a context. I am an outsider learning what it means as I go, stepping
into the history of a city which I am only beginning to experience. From
neighborhood to neighborhood, Philadelphia challenges my ability to find an appropriate
expression for its seemingly endless layers.
My work serves as an interpretation of this space as it becomes a visual correlate
for the reality. Born out of observation and memory, it is a collection
of sorts, a catalogue of moments spent within this fractured and glorious city.
It is a personal reflection of the individual – me – born out of a deeply held
desire to reflect and actively interpret location.
...gretchen batcheller
