WENDY F. BREST
T (203) 322-0104
STATEMENT
Many of my collages and drawings are inspired by the open architecture of my house. Unobstructed views of the outdoors allow me to focus on the adjoining deck, where a large white circular table perches. It’s a stand-in for my family. I have drawn it, painted it, abstracted from it and referenced it in many works: it is my talisman.
As a daily walker, I stare at the ground hoping for castoffs, which I collect. Nothing is categorically dismissed. Leaves are a particular favorite in the fall. I draw their portraits on translucent paper and juxtapose a world of shapes beneath. The incongruity of materials adds a critical dimension. I also love working with the grid and with text. It’s the complexity I’m seeking. I want the viewer to move close to the work to see what’s hiding in plain sight.
B.A. Brown University, Classics; Art Education: Silvermine with Anne Chernow, Lucy Sallick, Eve Ingalls; SUNY Purchase; Robert Reed One-on-One Seminar; Michael Torlen and Stuart Diamond critique groups
BIOGRAPHY
Awards:
New Haven Paint and Clay, 2005; Silvermine's Art of the Northeast, 1998; Greenwich Art Society, 1998, 1999 and 2002; 39th Annual Exhibition Discovery Museum, 1997; Stamford Art Association, 1997