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Donna
Payton transforms
discarded and
unnoticed items
into works that
range from the
sublimely ridiculous
to the neosurreal.
She ironically
converts culture's
castoffs into
cultural icons-assembled
sculptures that
are then reinvented
in the two-dimensional
worlds of paintings,
prints and drawings.
Wooden spools,
washing machine
agitators, marbles,
wire, dried
gourds, sticks,
chains, broken
china, ladles
and glass jars
find new identities
as the body
parts of Payton's
lively forms.
Infused
with the spirit
of the Surrealist
maxim, jamais
vu (never
before seen);
the sculptures
are transformed
into figurations
that exist
in other-worldly
settings.
Richly textured,
these settings
offer the
viewer experiences
that vary
from the playfully
provocative
to the edgy
entertainment
of children's
fairy tales.
An
accomplished
colorist in
the tradition
of Matisse
and Hockney,
Payton brings
to her work
a sophisticated
sense of texture
and composition
along with
a wry sense
of humor.
She creates
settings that
are offbeat
mirrors of
the human
drama. To
enable her
figurations
to succeed
in those worlds,
she endows
them with
the strength
and resilience
from which
heroes are
made.
The
gouache and
ink works
on paper are
layered with
ink transfer
and paint.
These paintings
present a
rich, visually
textured surface
while remaining
tactically
smooth. The
acrylic paintings
and charcoal
drawing consist
of the sculptures
transported
to altered
worlds where
in they become
alive and
interact in
their surroundings.
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