Cynthia MacCollum

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Biography:

Cynthia MacCollum/Artist Statement

As a painter and printmaker, I find inspiration in fragments of nature held close for reflection.  I employ a personal vocabulary of fluid marks and organic imagery to express the sensual pleasure and ephemeral quality of the natural world. Within this realm, my work varies from representational to abstract, and I am continuously moving along the continuum between the two.  I tend to work in series, either in regard to the materials used in creating my collagraph plates and prints, or in the exploration of a particular image.

Recently I have reconnected to my love of painting and have been exploring ways to connect painting and printing processes.  Moving from stencils of plants, to actual plants used as stencils, I am exploring the dialogue between Photography and Painting, despite the fact that I am not using a camera.  Instead of painting the object, I am painting the image of the object; this is perhaps a reaction to the constant exposure to images that pervades everyday life. There is also a seasonal aspect to this process; I am using found plant material, and the availability changes with the seasons.  The temporal quality of the material, alluding to the passage of time, and the ephemeral nature of the material itself, all speaks to a place in me that craves more connection to the natural world.  

The technical term for the way these prints were created is “rinsed prints”.  First developed by Picasso, the technique involves printing with oil based ink and then washing the print with water based ink; the oil based ink resists the water based ink.  In my practice, I am using the water based ink to paint an image on the oil based ink. 

Résumé:

Cynthia MacCollum

Solo and Group Exhibits

2017 Artists Showcase, Group Show, Avenue Gallery, Norwalk, CT; Invitational

2016 Flora & Fauna, Nest Arts Factory, Bridgeport, CT; Invitational

2016 Spring Fling, Group Show, Avenue Gallery, Norwalk, CT; Invitational

2015 ART On The Line, Invitational International Art Show and Exhibit, The Space, Hong Kong

2015 ART SHOW: BEDFORD, Benefit, Bedford, NY; Invitational

2015 Full Bloom: The Artist’s View of Gilded Age Botanicals; Lockwood Matthews Mansion Museum, Norwalk, CT

 2014 New Members Exhibition, Silvermine Guild Arts Center, New Canaan, CT

 2014 Continuum, Solo Show, H. Pelham Curtis Gallery, New Canaan, CT

 2014 On and Off the Wall, First Street Gallery, New York, NY; Invitational

 2014 Spring Fling, Group Show, The Avenue Gallery, Norwalk, CT; Invitational

 2014 Works on Paper, The Road Gallery, New York, NY; Invitational

 2012 Panorama, Members Show, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, CT

 2010  Members Show, Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan, CT

Juried Exhibitions

2018 Spectrum, Carraige Barn Arts Center, New Canaan, CT

2016  New Work/New Directions, Juried Members Exhibit, Silvermine Galleries, New Canaan, CT

2015 Annual Mini Print International, Cadaques, Spain and Bages, France

2015 Spectrum, Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan, CT

2014 International Biennial Footprint Exhibit, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, CT

2013 In the Layers, Juried Members Exhibit, Silvermine Guild Galleries, New Canaan, CT

2013  Ink and Clay 39, Kellogg Gallery, California Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA; juried show

2013  National Juried Exhibition, First Street Gallery, New York, NY, Donald Kuspit, Juror

2013  Spectrum, Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan, CT.

           *Awarded First Prize for Works on Paper

2013  Sea and Sky, Liz Afif Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2012  Spectrum, Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan, CT

2012  American Pastoral, Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan, CT

2010  Members Show, Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan, CT

Residencies

2017 and 2016 Skopelos Foundation for the Arts, Skopelos, Greece

Collections

The Fine Art Collection at Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY

 

Education

2005-2013  Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, CT

2010  Santa Reparata International School of Art, Intensive Printmaking Workshop,

           Florence, Italy

1993  Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY

1987  Washington University in St Louis, BA, History of Art, St. Louis, MO

Associated News

Associated Exhibitions

Leaves and Petals
February 1 - April 30, 2023
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Forever Flowers
January 30 - February 28, 2023
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Flowers and Flyers
Celebrating the beauty of Mother Nature
April 16 - August 31, 2021
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Holiday Gift Ideas 2020
Treat others this year or yourself with a gift you'll love forever!
November 25 - December 25, 2020
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Join Us for the First Affordable Online Art Fair November 6-30
Early Access - November 4-5
October 26 - December 12, 2020
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Cool and Calm
An Online Exhibit
April 10 - July 31, 2020
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“A Visual Taste of Fairfield County”
A Pop-Up Art Exhibit at Fairfield University Bookstore featuring Art & Artists highlighted in 2019 Culinary Book, Entrée Nous
July 29 - September 1, 2019
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See us at the 2019 AAFNYC - March 27 - 31st
December 30, 2018 - March 31, 2019
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A Path to Tranquility
A new group showing taking the viewer into a calm and optimistic space.
September 16 - December 21, 2018
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Her Window to the World: East and West Coast Artists Pop Up exhibit on Greenfield Hill. Ends Sept 20
The exhibit features 10 female artists in a newly restored 1900 farm house on Greenfield Hill.
May 31 - September 21, 2018
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