ARTIST’S STATEMENT

In my work I attempt to convey the anatomy of a feeling through form, structure, and the glow of saturated color.

The human experience of being simultaneously tenacious and vulnerable is referred to through the use of silk, a material which is delicate yet possesses a tensile strength greater than steel. Tension is built, both physically and metaphorically, as two elements quite opposed in character meet to form the surfaces and contours of the work. By combining these translucent and reflective materials, I am able to solidify and objectify ephemeral qualities of light.

My approach to structure reflects the progression and transformation seen in natural growth systems such as the chambered nautilus which leaves an ordered record of is its development, organic yet regular in design. The work captures the evanescent, while at the same time offering glimpses of that which is emerging to take its place.

The pieces are constructed using a plywood base, cut and formed sheet metals (copper, brass and aluminum), and silk. The metal forms an understructure which supports a stretched layer of silk. Modulated color (in the form of under-painting or dyed silk) is sometimes used to enhance depth, structure and dimension. The additional step of oiling the fabric “skin” creates various degrees of translucence, allowing the outer layer to be visually penetrable - a watercolor rendered in three dimensions.

 

“The physical description reduces their ephemeral qualities unjustly, failing to re-create the diaphanous veils of melting color, fusing from one space to the next. A simultaneity of resilience and vulnerability is created through the metal and membranes, like scars emerging from the interior of a cloud…

Painting and sculpture are too categorically limited for the emotional states of being that Seid so elegantly conjures up. Smoke and shadow, dissipation and loss, energy and anatomy- these physical references bring us closer to the ineffable life forces at the core of these mysterious assemblages.”

                                                -Gerry Craig, Sculpture Magazine July/August 2000

Why I shop at Sarnoff’s.

I have lived in Tucson for thirteen years now, during which time Sarnoff’s has become a necessary and vital part of my practice as an artist. Every time I walk into the store, I feel like “Norm,” walking into the bar on “Cheers”, where everybody knows my name and uses it to greet me. I then receive immediate and professional help finding exactly what I need. If they don’t have it, they will get it, and quickly. As an owner-operated store dedicated to expertise and personalized service, it’s a rare breed and a Tucson treasure.

The quality of Sarnoff’s products is of the highest level. I try to focus my visits on the items I came in for, but more often than not, a wonderful new pen or brush or specialty paper finds it’s way into my bag. Sarnoff’s is dense with goodness! It’s a wonderful place to browse, dream, and try new things. And every time I go there, I half-expect Tad or Henry to hand me a cold beer in a frosty mug, along with my change.

Carrie Seid
Tucson, Arizona

Carrie Seid Biography

Originally from Chicago, Carrie Seid maintains a full time fine and public art practice out of her studio in Tucson. Her works are made primarily of metal, wood, and silk, and incorporate illumination and pattern investigation to conjure various states of being.

Seid received her B.F.A. from The Rhode Island School of Design in 1984, then went on to receive her M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art, where she was a Merit Scholar.

She has taught at numerous universities, including the School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Buffalo State University, Arizona State University, and The University of Arizona. Winner of the Purchase Award in 2003, her work is part of the permanent collection of The Tucson Museum of Art where she also had a solo exhibition. In February 2006, her work was featured on “Arizona Illustrated,” hosted by Sooyeon Lee of KUAT television. Her public commissions in the Tucson area include the reception area of the Udall Senior Center, five projects at the Northwest Medical Center in Oro Valley, and the glass walkway in the courtyard of the Flowing Wells Community Center.

Carrie Seid is represented by numerous galleries around the country, including Lora Schlesinger Gallery in Los Angeles, Cain Schulte in San Francisco, Goya Contemporary in Baltimore, and Davis and Cline Gallery in Ashland, Oregon. In 2003, her work was featured in a solo exhibition at the Tucson Museum of Art.

Seid has lectured at many universities on the subjects of her artwork and the nature of creativity, and is currently working on new pieces for a solo exhibition at her LA gallery, opening June 25th. As a result of her twenty year teaching career in the arts, Carrie Seid is also working as a creativity consultant and facilitator, helping people clear paths for their creativity to bloom and grow. She currently conducts workshops on the subject of Creative Empowerment, as well as working with individuals, students, and corporate groups.

C  A  R  R  I  E    S  E  I  D
carrieseid@cox.net

www.carrieseid.com

http://creativeempowerment.tumblr.com