Artist: Kirsten Westphal;
Description: acrylic and acrylic gouache on gessoed wood panel. 9 x 12”;
Reserve: $400;
Artist Statement:
Working in the urban context of New York City and the pastoral landscape of Dutchess County, I have cultivated my creative practice with a versatile approach. My work spans various scales, from expansive room-sized installations of wooden constructions to diminutive, more ephemeral suspended pieces assembled from paper and metal, painting and drawing helps ideas evolve. This diversity of methods often reflects my surroundings, the demands of different studio environments, and time constraints.
Drawing is crucial to my artistic process and is deeply intertwined with my sculptural thinking. It acts as a springboard, shaping and informing the evolution of my work. One of my favored working practices involves constructing objects from smaller constituent parts—a method I conceptualize as an aggregate, where each component is integral to the overall form. The dialogue between seemingly inconsequential parts being necessary to the whole invites viewers to explore the interplay between individual elements and the larger whole. Once assembled, and placed in dialogue with the space, my work invites the viewer to a moment of contemplation, consideration, and curiosity.