Catherine Cruz

I am driven by curiosity and the visceral need to experiment.  In my abstract art practice, I have found paper and paint to be both simple and complex materials that can be manipulated in many ways.  My love for paper and stationary stores, known as papeteries, goes back to my childhood in France.  I remember perusing the aisles and touching the beautiful array of stationary paper, notebooks and decorative papers.  I grew up in an environment where the juxtaposition of old and new architecture created a beautiful tension.  In my current art, I see the textures representing the old and the collage elements representing the new.  My visual vocabulary is informed by the passing of time and the effect of the natural elements on the built environment, which creates beauty and complexity in distressed and weathered surfaces.  My art-making process is very intuitive and explorative and I enjoy creating multi-layered surfaces because it is an exercise of trust, patience, and perseverance.

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