ARTIST'S STATEMENT
As a child, I watched my mother and grandmother sit before their easels, lost in a private place wholly created by their singular response to art. I soon learned that I could bring about solutions to an eight year old girl's challenges by drawing upon their example. A favorite method was to copy panels from my "Jungle Woman" comic books, envisioning myself fighting off the enemies of my animal friends and swinging freely through the branches to my tree house. Whenever I found myself unable to physically or verbally express my emotions, I would retreat to my art, representing my secrets metaphorically.
When my wonderful, bigger than life husband was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, I tried to hide from my grief. But, of course, my emotions refused to be constrained. Soon I had my painting gear set up in our living room which was near the bedroom where he lay. Many times I would work through the night. There, I could respond to his needs in a moment so I felt comfortable to paint my way toward something that resembled control. Working intuitively I would be astonished at the results. When I studied the finished product, I could see my secrets shouted to the world. By releasing the contents of my personal Pandora's box in this way I avoided other, perhaps self-destructive, actions. My work gave me a sense of control in a world full of chaos. It enabled me to get out of bed in the morning and return to the reality of life and the acceptance of death.
For the past few years my work has been concerned with the creative process itself. Returning to the basics, I have journeyed through the elements of design, which led me to the beginning of time on Earth. Believing that within chaos lie all of the components of order, I am exploring how an artist can represent this theory on canvas, paper and steel plate. My latest series is related to the meeting of water and earth in the areas of wetlands that surround us all. By better understanding these primal areas of life, perhaps I may live my own more fully.
Marylyn English
GALLERY PLACEMENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
12/04 Brand Library Art Galleries, Glendale,"33rd Annual Juried Exhibition", Gerald Brommer Juror
08/04 Brand Library Art Galleries, Glendale,"Women Painters West Fall Pallette", Pat Berger Juror
06/04 Folk Tree collection, Pasadena, "Women Painters West Small Offerings" Franklin Liegel Juror (Award)
01/04 Artcore Brewery Annex, LA, Women Painters West, Winter Awakenings, Scott Canty, Juror (Award)
05/02 - Downstairs at the Milken, ‘The Artist’s
Connection, Sigmund Cohen Curator
11/01 - The Shores Counseling Center, Ventura, CA, Continuing Exhibition
04/01 - Downstairs at the Milken, ‘Two Perspectives’, Sigmund
Cohen Curator
12/00 - Ventura College, Ventura, CA, ‘Small Works Exhibition’,
Suzanne Muchnic Juror
09/00 - UCLA Hammer Museum, Westwood, CA, ‘Art of the Brain Exhibit’
06/00 - Montgomery Anderson Design, West Los Angeles, CA, ‘The Art
of Marjorie Rheuban’
04/99 - Century Gallery, Sylmar, CA, ‘Recent Gestural Paintings’,
John Cantley Curator
01/99 - Patricia Correia Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, ‘L.A. Nat’l
Juried Exhibit’, Mat Gleason Juror
11/98 - Tara’s Gallery, Woodland Hills, CA, ‘Off The Ramp,
III.. .x IV = XII’ Group Show
09/98 - Century Gallery, Sylmar, CA, ‘Biennial Exhibition’,
Jay Belloli Juror
09/98 - Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA, Kim Abeles Curator
07/97 - William Grant Stills Gallery, ‘L.A. Open Exhibition’,
Los Angeles, CA, Rick Moss Juror
04/97 - Tara’s Gallery, Woodland Hills, CA, ‘Off The Ramp,
On The Wall’ Group Show
06/96 - Century Gallery, Sylmar, CA, ‘Open Juried Competition’,
Robert Gino & Don Grant Juror
03/96 - San Bernardino County Museum, So. Cal. Open Exhibition, Mike McGee
Juror
E-mail:marylyne@att.net