A canvas of possibility
- Susan’s acrylic paintings on raw canvas are influenced by her upbringing in Hawaii
- She combines three to 10 different paintings to create each sculpture
- With a totemic sense and physical references, her pieces become close to portraits
Susan Maddux had been painting for years when she began to wonder what other forms a painting could take. She took the canvases off their stretcher bars and manipulated them in new ways to find an intuitive way to work with her hands. “I came up with interesting things and folding was one of them,” she says. The breakthrough led to Susan’s current practice which combines colour, form and an animating spirit. “What I discovered a long time ago is that I want to control the process very tightly, but I also like what happens when I just allow things to happen,” she says. Going back for further training after her fine arts degree, Susan channelled her lifelong interest in garments into textile design. Her artworks are highly sought after and widely exhibited.
INTERVIEW
I have a strong connection to Hawaii, where I was born and raised. In Hawaii, there is an animating spirit in all things. It is something I have always carried with me. When you are face to face with my pieces, there is a totemic kind of presence.
I fold and tear the raw canvas, going back and forth looking at proportions to find something resonant. Then I visualise how I want the painting to enhance it. In each piece, I build up the layers of paint slowly, painting them three or four times in total.
I want the pieces to trigger the idea that there is possibility beyond limitations. People are sort of amazed by these pieces, they are drawn to them. I hope they feel a sense of wonder as well, as most of the piece is actually hidden. I seek to seed a little mystery in them by doing this.
I loved to make bundles of materials, leaves and flowers, bound with grass, sticks and feathers. Working with my hands is a very flowy, intuitive way of thinking. When I am folding my work, I tap back into that. It makes me think maybe I was always a sculptor.
