Diane Richards: Double Vision, 2019, silk, dye and cedar, 66" x 50" x 8"

About:

I am intensely attuned to the patterns in nature. In the land, I see form and energy. In my work, I try to capture these patterns, which I see as profoundly moving. I have developed a way of working that speaks to these patterns and the process is unique since the elements of nature, are creating the work.

I am a land artist. The process is site-specific: silk is laid onto the land while powder dye is introduced to create a monoprint from the land. With time and a bit of patience, I watch and wait for the right moment to blow the powder dye onto the wet silk. The results combine nature's elements: sun, water, wind, and earth. Nature has created the design, and I am taking the imprint. Once the print is made, the silk is displayed to move freely, so that the viewer can feel the energy of the work. For a moment, I wish to harness that energy- and then share it. This work is created with the same gentleness of spirit and kindness that nature gives to all of us when we slow down, sense, listen and watch.

There is a sense of tranquility and impermanence as one interacts with the work. The shapes and materials used are minimal-They create both a balanced complexity and a calming effect.

Bio:

Diane Richards (b. 1971) lives in Pottstown, PA. She is a land artist whose work brings a sense of tranquility and impermanence to our ever-changing world. Her work has a curious and pleasing balance. The process of the painted silk and sculptural elements provides equal strength and fragility, which creates a tension. This tension melds into a flowing symbiosis that creates a pattern that seems woven directly into the landscape. The ensuing result of merging subject and materials in this way is pure harmony.

www.drichardsart.com