| Chartier's
work is driven by an innate curiosity about paint, process and a layman's
interest in science. Each of her paintings starts as an actual test springing
from questions about certain materials and how they can interact. She explores
the migrations of pigments, inks, dyes and chemical stains through layers
of acrylic gels, gessos and spray paints, finding movement of these materials
to be evocative and often surprising, developing overtime in the way a photograph
develops in the darkroom. The scale is intimate enough as it is mostly about
looking at nuance and subtlety. Using references to science from a collection
of DNA gel electrophoresis, molds, bacteria, cellular structures, even pictures
of stuff in test tubes or certain charts and comparisons, Chartier looks
for anything that is technologically based and contemporary, yet organic
and archetypal. Sometimes she documents the materials she used by writing
in pencil labels on the front or sides of the piece. Chartier is interesting
in "creating work that is real and direct, not a picture about something,
but a piece that is the thing itself". She structures her paintings to invoke
a correlation that feels resonant with questions on the nature of human
curiosity and creativity. This is her first solo exhibition at frumkin/duval
gallery. Chartier works and lives in Seattle, WA. |
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