A strong
narrative runs through Susan Washington's work with references to her long
involvement with collage, textiles, fashion, and art. By age five, Susan was
tutored in the art of origami and sumi ink drawing by her Japanese godmother as
well as watercolors from her father. Having spent her teens deconstructing
dressmaking as a punk fashionista, Washington landed on 5th Avenue working at
Dior and Nautica. Washington relocated to Baltimore in April of 2021 where she
has a large studio on W. Pratt Street. Along with continuing to explore her
Subway Sonnet’s body of work, Susan is commissioned for large-scale paintings
and works closely with designers on residential and hospitality design
projects.
Gravitating
to the oeuvres of Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly and Joan Mitchell, Washington has
continued to push boundaries, re-inventing her work with each new piece while
continuing to maintain the cohesive thread that creates her signature look.
“My work is inherently autobiographical.” says
Washington. “My Subway Sonnet body of work feels as if they have been created
by random collaboration in the same way public telephone booths and trains
quickly filled up with stickers and graffiti. The surface is archaeological,
stratified with graphic artifacts as some, previously placed, are torn away and
others overlaid upon existing iconography. The picture plane is scratched and
eroded and scrawled upon. Song lyrics and Shakespearean quotes share the same
space with philosophy and street slang. There is rough poetry in the
un-painterly rhythm and coarseness of this approach. I have tied together all
the imagery and text to imbue each painting with a particular and specific
mantra that ranges from “fame” and “success” to “love” and “prosperity”. I pay
homage to post-war American art and the neo-expressionists.”
Washington
incorporates icons from the world’s religions and philosophies, pictures torn
from art and fashion magazines and references to lyrics from my favorite bands
find their way onto the canvas. All paintings are created on canvas using oil
paint, spray paint and paper. Her work has been exhibited and collected internationally
and have also been included in film and motion pictures including The Book Club
with Diane Keaton, LA’s Finest, The Morning Show, The Laundromat.
EXHIBITIONS
2017-23 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Boom!
Nitro Gallery
Art She Says |
Solo Exhibition
Affordable Art
Fair | Muriel Guepin
414 Light
Exhibition
Spring Exhibit at
Muriel Guepin Gallery NYC
2019 SOFA
CHICAGO with Inspired Interiors
Affordable
Art Fair NYC
Market
Art & Design | Hamptons NY
White
Room Gallery | All The Pieces
2018 Banana
Factory Arts Center Bethlehem, PA
Lachaise
Gallery at Cedar Crest University
Connexions Gallery Easton, PA
Brick
& Mortar Gallery Easton, PA
2017 Affordable
Art Fair New York, NY
2016 Cherry
Bomb, Brick and Mortar Gallery
Esquina
NYC
Threads,
Solo Exhibition, Connexions Gallery, Easton PA
Abstract
Five, Castle Inn Gallery, Delaware Water Gap, PA
Good
Company, Brick and Mortar Gallery
PRIVATE/CORPORATE COLLECTIONS:
David Hoey, Owner DENK Gallery, LA
Michael Daks, Paris College of Art, formerly Parsons Paris
Istituto Marangoni
Santa Bannon - Santa Bannon Fine Art
Russel Marisak, NYC Theater
Peter Stastny, A&C Museum Texas
TV & FILM
LA’s Finest, Sony
The Morning Show, Apple TV+
The Laundromat, Netflix
Home Economics, ABC