ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS

MARK MAKERS

Walker Fine Art, Denver CO

EXHIBITING ARTISTS:

Julie Maren Ana Zanic

Patricia Finley Ellen Moershel

Brigan Gresh Mary Mackey

Brandon Reese

Exhibit Runs Through: July 7, 2018

My seven new works on panels are currently on view in Denver, in a seven-artist show titled" Mark Makers" at Walker Fine Art. I am glad the concept of mark making is highlighted here, as I have always felt my scribbling, doodling, caligraphic-like drawing, basically mark making, was always an integral part of my artistic practice.

There was a specific question about the act of mark making in my work in an interview I had with Kathryn Markel Fine Arts gallery a few years ago:

KMFA: Do you consider the ink marks you make to be a way to bring a sense of control and definition to the work? Or is it a continuation of the spontaneity and intuitive mark making?

AZ: For me, the mark making is really the most intimate element of the work, and it is definitely a continuation of spontaneity. I feel like I am setting the stage with washes of watercolor, and then the mark making is what breathes life into a piece. The process of mark making is like writing a note; it is very immediate, and there is a sense of vulnerability to it. It almost feels like opening up my journal for the viewer to read.

And in an interview with the Gallery 19, this year, the question of marks in my work came up again.

Gallery 19: There are very controlled and tight little ink marks throughout your compositions. They almost serve as an opposing force to your airy layers of washes. When did you develop this language and what keeps you fascinated with it?

AZ: The language of those opposing forces, I think, is just a reflection of who I am as a person, really. I have a strong need for a sense of calm and thrive when I can be alone. I like solitude and peaceful environments. But I am also very easily excited, agitated, happy and/or sad, so there is a lot of dynamics going on inside of me, and that comes out through the mark making and the drawing. It’s almost like the fluidity and softness of the watercolor medium calms my mind, but then I also need to release these energetic marks in order to clear my mind from the hum and buzz of thoughts.