Susan Venable

My art is non-objective and reductivist in approach - a formal exploration of structure and surface, and the relationship between the two.  The relief's are constructed of steel grids and copper wire. The paintings are encaustic and oil on panel.  In both the relief's and the paintings, layers are stacked to produce a rich and complex surface.  I want to maximize the physicality of the materials, seeking a presence and energy field through the structure and the surface. 

My inquiry is on a perceptual as well as tactile level.  The non-objective approach in my work is to elicit an abstract response from the viewer. Not to recall a specific place or object, but to create a transcendent reality.  To create the emotion or the conceptual part of nature.  To remind without being specific. To be contemplative and serene. To transform the viewer beyond relative space into their own imagination.

The wall reliefs have been installed in public spaces as well as private homes and museums. Commissions involving collaboration with architects are welcome, and have included Xerox, Nissan, Bank of America, Hotel Nikko, IBM, Western Digital, as well as corporations in Europe, Australia, and Tokyo.  The materials are durable and low maintenance, and suitable to installation in public areas.