Paintings by ApB

Agnes Preston-Brame

Artist's Statement

Looking at a blank canvas is scary, especially when I do not have a preconceived idea of an image. Yet I know that eventually, my painting will depict people — abstracted people with familiar attitudes — in familiar situations, sometimes in ambiguous surroundings.

I literally start in the hope of discovery by putting areas of color on the canvas, drawing lines, arranging, rearranging until in the back of my mind some remembrances, experiences, or childhood memories come into focus. Then I try to synthesize my thoughts into a cohesive idea, while keeping the work spontaneous and intuitive. An image may go through several metamorphoses before its final stage because a sudden brushstroke or a small line can totally change the meaning or the mood of the painting.

The outcome of an image may be influenced by nuances — like the sudden sound of a tune, the whoosh of a flying bird, a text — or, of course, in large part by my encounters with people. These sensations and observations become part of my visual dictionary and when I am working on a piece, consciously or subconsciously, they come to the fore. The process gives me great physical, emotional, and spiritual satisfaction… I push and pull until exhaustion.

Ultimately, I aim to convey complex situations and emotions in a simple, painterly way. My hope is that the work will elicit thoughtful responses from the viewer.

The materials I use, for the most part, are conventional: acrylic, oil, pen and ink, charcoal. Love them all!  My artistic language has its foundations in the formal, European studies I had while I was growing up in Budapest, and the biggest, transformative influences came from Abstract and Figurative Expressionism that I discovered as an art student in New York City.

                                                                                Agnes Preston-Brame