Barbara Manger
artist, printmaker, author
Artist in Residence at Donges Bay Gorge Nature Preserve
Barbara is one of 12 artists participating in a year-long residency program called ARTservancy, a collaboration between Gallery 224 in Port Washington and the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, River Revitalization Foundation, Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy and the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory. The mission of ARTservancy is to promote the visionary work of both the artists and conservationists. Each artist has selected a preserve to spend time in and to engage with.
My monotypes and drawings reflect natural phenomena. I engage line as a metaphor — lines that repeat and weave themselves together, lines that echo the flow of a river, the growth of tree bark, or the sway of grass. I am intrigued by the endless possibilities of line: the twists and intertwines, the overlaps and tangles, the random disarray, or seemingly organized structures. The strands of color are fragile alone but gain power when integrated with others. The energy, spatial qualities, textures, forms that emerge are indicative of the natural world.
I gather organic materials and build these into hefty masses or delicate shreds that fade or disintegrate. Printing with an etching press on paper with oil-based inks I combine traditional and innovative processes. The unexpected gifts that emerge are integral to the creative process.
I hope to engage the viewer in imaginative questioning and considering and to evoke memories of experiences with nature.
Contact
barbmanger@gmail.com
Represented by Idea Gallery, Door County, WI and Gallery 224, Port Washington, WI