Martha Olson
I have always searched for a medium to express the long unspoken artistic language that I knew was a part of me. Altered paper has provided a visual voice releasing memories of silent observation, or life experiences, or a turn of a word or a phrase. My work begins with recycling glossy magazine pages that I alter by crumpling, tearing, cutting, and applying a releasing agent to dissolve the ink printed in the paper. Each page produces a one-of-a-kind image and color palette that I file and collect. When the gathering of color and images is complete, the next process begins. It is like a dance that swirls in and out ,combining images with color and movement to form my creations. I apply many layers of paper which draws the viewer in for a closer inspection; there they will discover and experience surprise images and personal interpretations. I enjoy the challenge of a problem to solve, the expansion of an idea, the surprise and euphoria that come from a moment of clarity. So everyday I am drawn to work in my studio. There I have found that I become a more complete person.
I know that I am limitless.
