“I move between intuition and logic; chaos and order.” – Teri Dryden
"Arroyo Seco" by Teri Dryden, collage on panel, 18x24in, 2017
Teri Dryden has worked in several mediums, and her most recent transition was from a concentration on collage to Abstract Expressionist painting. In these examples, we see how her collage technique conveys a sense of memory, in that that materials peel back to reveal layers of history in the way that an aging wall might. Dryden is inspired by European architecture and has been known to use forgotten posters papered over multiple times culled from those very walls.
Yet the work is never dusty or antiquated. Although it knowingly references the past, it is entirely fresh and new in its impact; created for the moment. Dryden invigorates her surface through a kinetic process: “I plunge into each piece of work as if it were an adventure into the unknown. With no specific outcome in mind, I respond to the changes in the picture as I explore and interact with materials by layering paint and paper, scratching, sanding, and marking, creating open spaces, altering and adjusting. I move between intuition and logic; chaos and order. Being aware and open, taking risks with the materials, as well as the struggle itself allows me to be in the moment to reflect and interpret a history that evolves on the canvas before my eyes.”
"Line Study," by Teri Dryden, acrylic on paper, 48x30in, 2017, $450
In her paintings, the energetic mark making nearly explodes off of the surface. “Line Study” gives us a glimpse of the artist’s unchecked enthusiasm, a vital, almost assaultive lay down of, bold and vigorous graphics. In “Gypsy Tango,” the energy is only tempered slightly by the layers of vivid acrylic color built up on the mounted paper surface. In both instances, it is not difficult to imagine the artist in action, sweeping gestures of the hand meeting the substrate, leaving a palpable presence in the finished work.
Dryden just returned from showing her work at the Objects of Art Santa Fe 2017 in New Mexico. Presently, she has work in a group landscape show at New Editions Gallery in Lexington. In addition, for the month of October, she will have work at the Robert-Brandt Gallery in Columbus, Ohio for a juried invitational featuring abstract art.
Hometown: Annapolis, MD
Education: Towson University
Website: http://www.teridryden.com
Gallery Representative: View Gallery (Jackson, MS); New Editions, (Lexington, KY); B. Deemer (Louisville, KY); Contemporain Gallery, (Baton Rouge, LA)
"Gypsy Tango," by Teri Dryden, acrylic on paper, mounted on panel and framed, 47x36in, 2017
"Buena Vista", by Teri Dryden, collage on panel, 18x24in, 2017
"Shift," by Teri Dryden, acrylic on canvas, 20x20in, 2017
Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.
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