Cut icon shape collaged to Kraft paper with colored pencil and ink

Russell Steinert

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My approach as an artist is rooted in a sensitivity to place and the histories we carry with us. Developing a relationship to a place in each phase of life involves taking in its textures and noticing the ways oneself stands in relation to it. Encountering a space brings to the surface feelings, memories, and stories from previous places and lives, a fusion of the old and the new. I have been particularly drawn to the intimacy and quiet, yet deeply resonant particularities of the spaces that hold the most meaning: our homes, our places of spirituality, and–for artists–our studios. In my work, I visually tell stories about the connections between these places and the objects within them. I’ve developed a language of painting and building for architectural spaces, images as windows onto the outside, wood fabrication referencing cabinetmaking and toys, hand-sized objects cut from wood to place on and around the cabinetry and on the floor near the paintings I install. My artistic practice plays with the boundaries of what constitutes a work of art, seeking a freshness in the deconstructing of function, frames, and edges to make room for the deeply personal and intimate.