The following is Pat Pollards artist statement for her show at the Taos Inn beginning August 12, 2009.
Moving to Taos nearly 20 years ago gave me the freedom and opportunity to unleash imagery stored away in my mind since childhood. Because of my long career as a commercial photographer, experimenting with Polaroid transfers was a natural starting point. Before long I was constructing wooden environments to house found objects and my first forays into figurative sculpture. Some examples of these dimensional constructions are in the Adobe Bar.
In 1999 a new computer and Photoshop were keys to the digital world and I made images from both scanned objects and actual photographs. For me this process was totally intuitive, the computer screen became a blank canvas. Giclee prints here in the Library are from both photographs and scanned objects.
Several years ago a UNM printmaking class opened the door to painting and I’ve never looked back. I still employ mixed media in my paintings to create the textural surfaces and layered, ambiguous color that are integral to my work.
These recent pieces are more intuitive than ever and when I start a painting, unlike previous constructions, I am comfortable not knowing the outcome—just trusting in the process to carry me along and letting the marks and colors emerge to surprise me. Composed of color layers that alternate warm and cool within a minimal structure, these pieces are deeply satisfying to me as continuing refinements of my personal aesthetic.
This show is dedicated to my husband Jim for his loving support and to Melissa for her friendship and encouragement.
Pat Pollard
Taos, NM
August 2009
