Tamar Kander
People ask me how I describe my work: I see it as a metaphor for experience and an expression of what I see and feel. We all have collective memory, as well as highly individual thoughts and associations. I believe we also have a spiritual core, unique to each of us. My work comes from this place.
Although primarily non-representational, my work is influenced by landscape and architectural symbols. There are many recurring themes, evidenced by my titles. I attempt to expose the beauty hidden in the so-called mundanity of everyday life. An example would be the texture and hues of an old and crumbling wall.
The beauty of a reflection on water, the arch of a bridge, etc. Music is another influence, particularly classical, blues and jazz.
I work with a variety of materials, including powdered gesso, cold wax, dry-wall compound, acrylic medium, marble dust and oils. I build my surfaces onto canvas, sometimes adding collaged materials pertinent and personal to me. Then come marks and gestures made with brushes and other tools, all the while enjoying a reciprocal “conversation” with the work in progress. Often I refer to sketches, notes, diagrams and salvaged images, which can be found in my sketch-books, stuck up on the walls of my studio and scattered about my work surfaces. I then continue the process of realizing my initial idea - my subjective response - by adding more layers, some comprised of pigment, all the while refining and continuing to build up the surface and the image. At this time I introduce ink, graphite, paint and other materials.
To read more about Tamar’s work, click here.
