DOROTHY COCHRAN – Artist Statement
Creating art is a form of meditation and spiritual dialogue. Within the subconscious, there is a world of images; a wealth of connections built layer upon layer. A reflective person is compelled to search through these images for the meaning and significance of life. An artist seeks and further refines this information to create personal work with substance and beauty. In the sharing of that work with an audience, the personal becomes universal.
The wellspring of my inspiration can be found woven with threads culled from scientific observation of the universe. This includes the study of astronomy, permutations of geometric forms, ancient uses of time keeping devices and the graphic appeal of cellular structures. These disparate investigations come together in my drawings and collages, which, juxtapose line, shape and color in complex compositions.
This current series of solarplate etchings speaks as a personal abstract narrative and a commentary on time and emotion. Given the larger realm of scientific data in the 21st century, advances in interior body scans and an ever expanding human knowledge of the unknown, these works are the simple reflection of my journey through our time. In a sense, I am a microcosm positioning myself within the larger macrocosm.
Solar plate etching harnesses ultra violet light to penetrate and harden exposed areas of a light sensitive plate. The fascination of this process (and some of the fun) is that you can use the sun as your light source. I create images by drawing, through collages and digital manipulation. The finished design is then copied onto a transparency. This in turn, is positioned on top of a steel plate, whose surface is coated with a photosensitive polymer. Next comes exposure on a fine, sunny day. After exposure, the plate is scrubbed under running water. This removes unexposed polymer, creating a recessed image (this process is environmentally safe). As a final step, the plate is again exposed to light, to insure that the entire surface is hardened. The end result is an etched image, ready to receive ink.
The plate is traditionally inked. This involves much manipulation. Relief rolling, careful wiping and hand coloring with watercolor and colored pencils are all employed to varying degree. Noteworthy is the difficult application and wiping of multiple colors using the classic à la poupée method. Often, a finished print requires multiple plates, chine collé and hand embellishment.
The meshing of creativity and studio application, all influenced by our modern scientific world, brings forth a world of spirit that has always been my province. Science informs the artistic spirit but the artist questions, enhances and employs it as a muse to inspire wonder, and to capture the complexities and mysteries of the invisible. Each of my works is a kind of prayer, a Book of Hours if you will, to be spoken out loud; a shout for joy, a supplication, an embracing of everyday experience. Above all, each is a contemplation of life in quiet spiritual moments.
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526 West 26th St., Suite 403, New York, NY 10001 (917) 821-0753
The images on this site are the property of Dorothy Cochran. They may not be reproduced or published, in any form, without the express written permission of the artist.
