Patricia Underwood has created bodies
of work that are as visually pleasing as they are intellectually
challenging. She fuses traditional print and paper making techniques
with unusual combinations of mixed media to produce bodies of
work with richly layered surface textures, employing paint, washes,
glazes, beadwork and caulking. The work evokes a sense of the
primitive. Her keen love for color is apparent in each piece.
Her compositions speak to the viewer in a deeply
personal yet universally accessible language of symbols and shapes,
which serve as a vehicle to raise controversial and seemingly
insoluble issues. Her 2002 series, "Bimbos and Goddesses",
made elegant and intriguing associations between representations
of the female figure in our current culture and those in prehistoric
matriarchal societies to confront issues of self-esteem and abuse.
In her series, "Healing Shields", each piece deals
with a specific, painful issue such as domestic violence and
racism, and acts as a "visual prayer" for healing.
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