Susan Washington

About the Artist

There is a strong narrative running through Susan Washington's work that references her long involvement with collage, textiles, fashion and art. She comes from a family of artists and by age 5 Susan was tutored in the art of origami and sumi-e ink drawing by her Japanese godmother as well as watercolors from her father. She spent her teens deconstructing dressmaking as a punk fashionista. Washington then landed on 5th Avenue working at Dior and Nautica. 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. Washington’s pieces are the perfect balance of artistry and execution.  "She digs in the ‘pigment dirt’ better than any other contemporary abstract artist I know." - Berrisford Boothe

Artist's Statement

Artist statement on current body of work "Subway Sonnets" Visual narratives derived from memories of growing up in the projects in NY late 70s and 80s. The works feel as if they are a collaboration of marks in the same way telephone booths and trains became filled with graffiti and stickers. Eroded pictures on top of images, song lyrics, and quotes, graffiti, and advertisement stickers. Each painting with a particular mantra ranging from “love” to “prosperity. I pay homage to post-war American art and neo-expressionists. 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 on my canvas. Affirmation is also found in mantras, spells, and the lyrics of music. The energy of the city in my mind’s eye pushes me to paint what I feel and to roughly organize the narrative of the painting to fit a particular theme.