Photograph by Terri Glanger
Presence and absence of light as it affects the ephemeral passage of time and memory is a continued source of exploration. Transient sunlight, cycles of nature, the structure and texture of natural surroundings inform my work conceptually. I often combine earth pigments with oil paint or inks to form unique color hues for layered surfaces for printmaking or oil paintings. I have devoted much of my practice over the years to Intaglio printmaking – etchings on copper plates and printed by hand on paper. Finding the essential to convey a contemplative image is central to my work.
My three-dimensional work in resin, steel, and wood is influenced by Japanese architecture, especially the work of Tadao Ando. I studied his work in Japan in 2011 and learned more about the Japanese culture – the inclusion of nature within space, light as dialogue for reverence, embracing “ma” allowing time to pause and become aware of the moment, and the perception of impermanence.
I believe art has the power to bridge differences and express connections, however fragile, in ways we are connected universally. At this moment in our troubled chaotic history, I am devoted to the possibility of bringing people together for at least a few moments of calm and serenity.
Joan Winter
Joan Winter works in a range of mediums to explore the fleeting nature of light as it affects color, atmosphere, and form. She encourages the viewer to think about “how we see” and challenges the tension between seeing and perception. Working in painting, printmaking, and sculpture, Winter reinterprets observations of natural surroundings and landscape to reveal the illusion of changing light over time. She makes intaglio etchings on copper plates and screenprints, often printed on handmade paper from Nepal or Japan. Her process to create abstract paintings on linen includes multiple layers of transparent oil paint to fuse color and texture. Winter uses the band saw as a drawing tool and beginning point for sculpture. Her materials include light natural woods, cast resin, and steel. She makes ethereal forms emphasizing light as a primary element.
Winter worked in architecture for ten years before receiving her MFA from SMU. She studied art and architecture at Texas Tech University. Her solo exhibitions from the mid 1990’s - 2020 include galleries in New York, Chicago, Santa Fe, Houston, Marfa, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas. Her work is in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, TX, the Tyler Museum of Art, TX, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, TX, and in numerous collections, both private and public, in the US and UK. She has also been included in group exhibitions in Awaji, Japan and Arequipa, Peru, and Print Center, New York. Winter’s work is included in book publications: Texas Abstract: Modern/Contemporary and Flatbed Press at 25 Years and catalogues such as THE JAPAN PRINTS (2017), EDGE OF LIGHT (2017), COLOR + LIGHT (2020) and COLOR + LIGHT, Prints (2020).
Holly Johnson