Diane Abt
Website
Social
Other Social
(510) 599-4345
Making art enables me to see the world's beauty with more delight and to witness its tragedies with more empathy and compassion.
Two disparate pieces of my life fuel my art practice: 35 years as a journalist and living in Japan for seven years. On my return to United States in 2003, I began a one-year experiment: to see what happened if I painted every day. I’ve since transformed my life-long art hobby to a second career.
My minimalist ink paintings reflect a passion for the brush, rooted in Asian calligraphy. Mixed media work often juxtaposes beauty - the elegance of brush writing or the happenstance glory of nature -- and the terror of political or personal upheaval.
My monotypes begin on an etching press. Sometimes, I paint or draw images that emerge from the monotype’s surface. The printmaking process enables me to incorporate many different elements, including painting, calligraphy, and collage. Storytelling and authenticity remain important to me, but my tools now include color, texture, translucent layering, as well as newspaper images and text.
I may start with an idea, as in the series, Fleeing Across Continents, which explores the terrifying plight of millions of migrants across the world. The dramatic inequality between rich and poor triggered the series, Abyss Passed in Silence.
Sometimes though, intuition alone drives my work. No analysis, no planning, no thinking ahead. I gather my tools -- brushes, rollers, ink stick, whatever -- and let my spirit guide the marks.
