Lois Epperson-Gale - Artist Statement

This work is part of a new series titled “It’s all Connected/Sutura”. I was inspired by texts I have been reading about the consciousness of cells, body/mind connections, and the ways in which internal processes are affected by external stimuli. I continue to explore the internal body, its structures and functions, and the temporal nature of things. With this series, I have focused on specific forms while using encaustic as a drawing tool.

By carving into the cooled surface, laying encaustic into the channels, and scraping back the excess to reveal what is beneath, the process becomes a meditation. I attempt to balance a sense of control with the limitations of the materials

I utilized found, rusted sheet metal as the substrate. The way the rust had formed on the metal reminded me of microscopic cellular images I have been examining. The metal surface grows, moves, and changes depending on environmental factors, not unlike cellular changes and responses in the body.

Resume

Education

Exhibitions

Solo:

Group:

• 2006 Graduated with academic distinction, summa cum laude
• 2005/06 Fine Arts Resident Achievement Scholarship - University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• 2003 Steven Langmade Scholarship - University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• 1994 Outstanding Designer Scholarship - College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL

Collections

• University of Colorado-Boulder, Special Collections
• University of California-Davis, Carl N. Gorman Museum

Publications

• Downtown Tucsonan, July 2006 Issue 50, Jennifer Millard, “Unearthing Encaustic and Innovative Art in Tucson”