Sandra Dawson

1989 B.F.A. University of Illinois Chicago, IL 1983 Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO Lives and works in Chicago Artist Statement In my work I unite objects from the natural environment with symbolic imagery and text from past and present cultures. Layers of paint are etched, scratched and subtracted to convey depth and to conjure memories. Pattern movement and form are all essential components, which balance the dynamic of the piece. The images in my work evolve from an observation of our natural world, our social circles and our internal psyche. Archetypes, Icons and mythological figures share space with childlike scrawls, poetry and graphic images. Interwoven, these elements convey a multilayered content partnered on a scarred yet sensuous surface. I paint, etch and draw both abstracted and figurative elements onto my panels. I combine techniques and materials which include: acrylic and oil paint, photographs, sheetrock, objects from nature, glass, gold and silver leaf. My work evolves spontaneously and intuitively. My paintings suggest a belief in the interconnection between all living things. I envision my work to communicate the paradox, the beauty and the mystery of life in its many layered complexities as well as in its most humble simplicity - taken for granted in the enormity of a fallen leaf, the transience of life, a moment in time. My work explores the reflections of duality: the connection between the past and the present, the fluctuation and the balance of never ending cycles. View Biography Blue, oil and mixed media on panel, 24x24 Wide World, oil and mixed media on panel, 9x12 1000 Days, oil and mixed media on panel, 36x32 Red Lotus, oil and mixed media on panel, 36x32 Lotus, mixed media on panel, 36x32 How to Cross a River, mixed media on panel, 38x38 Family, mixed media on panel, 26x54 Runner, mixed media on panel, 26x54 Red, mixed media on panel, 24x24 Shiva, mixed media on panel, 36x32 Three, mixed media on panel, 26x54 Queens and Gods, mixed media on panel, 24x24 Continue to Dawson, Page 2