Solo Show at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center

LEEDY-VOULKOS ART CENTER

Courtney Wasson, "Woodcuts" Exhibition
November 4 - January 28

Artist Statement-
My work is inspired by collectibles and “artifacts”. As a young girl, I spent a lot of time with my parents going to antique malls and helping out at my mother’s shop. I saw how collectibles could define a person or how a person could make a statement with their collection. I became interested in these invested images and items people used to communicate their beliefs and worth.

To put it simply, I’m interested in symbolism and how we invest or imbue meaning into a symbol. The extensive use symbolism in our society is fascinating. I enjoy how a symbol can bring a depth of meaning. I also enjoy secret languages our symbols can create – such as the Victorian language of flowers. I look at these symbols and investigate how I would use them to communicate a simple idea, feeling, or adage.

I enjoy the process of printmaking. I like that it is not immediate. It takes physical effort and time investment. I find the process of printing is engaging. Carving a woodblock, the sound of ink as you roll your brayer, the anticipation of pulling the print through the press, and the physicality of the printed image pressed into the paper is rewarding.
My block prints are simple, black and white images created using a technique that doesn’t try to mask or hide the wood block – by leaving some chatter on the print, as well as wood grain.

When I begin a piece, I find a symbol and try to marry it to a word or saying. I am exploring the relationship created between image and word, and often find different associations between the two. I choose woodcuts as my medium because of the time and effort it takes to create the image. It’s a religious activity, I like the idea that I often have to come back to the block several different times and engage in the cathartic action of carving the woodblock. For me, knowing that these images weren’t quick and easy to create gives them more meaning.