Artist Statement

The process of art making for me is intuitive – one of engaging with the materials, staying with whatever direction I’m taken, and hopefully recognizing when it is time to stop.  When successful, the work forms itself spontaneously.  The process could be described as that of a collagist.

The assembled sculptures are made by way of “putting together” and “taking apart” until the piece finds its own identity or character and feels right. How the various formal elements finally organize themselves in scale, proportion, pattern, color and texture becomes the distinctive content of each piece.

My approach to painting and drawing is similar to that of the sculpture in that each piece starts with one mark (or stripe) which leads to the next and the next and so on, until the piece is complete.

There are some figurative references in my work which have led me to consider the varied aspects of the human psyche, such as identity, individuality, humor and character.  This is of particular interest to me in the more abstract assemblages, as they seem to take on distinctive personalities even though almost completely non-figurative.

My past experience as an art historian and designer has undoubtedly influenced my current work, but the ultimate goal is to find the purest expression of innocence and originality and get myself out of the way. 

Dez Ryan Odegaard

2019