Enid Smith Becker: Artist Statement
I have always been interested in the relationship between humans and their world. In my paintings the body, the earth and plants and animals are arranged and layered to create a space that is both hyper-real and unreal. Allusive imagery forces the viewer's interpretation. Painting, like poetry is metaphorical communication. The juxtaposition of images not always associated with one another begins a narrative that gives fresh perspective on both.
My recent work is acrylic paintings with collaged poetry on canvas. The marriage of painting and poetry is a natural choice for me: I have been painting and showing in the Seattle area for over ten years and have a Masters in French Literature. This latest series is inspired by Charles Baudelaire's poems from the collection Les Fleurs du Mal (Flowers of Evil). The paintings are not illustrations but echoes of the original text. They are based on a careful reading of the text in French. Like an echo that becomes distorted over time and distance, my paintings are evocative not only of Baudelaire but also of me and my time.
By subsuming collaged poems into the art I create a new visual poem. The text is no longer the locus of meaning but becomes a rhythmic, textural layer, and meaning is now carried by the images and colors.