space to play, fall apart, re-balance, and begin again
Guest blog by Nancy Manter
“Whenever people talk about the weather to me, I always feel certain they mean something else.”
— Oscar Wilde
I was born in Maine and raised by a country doctor and an artist mother. I was deeply inspired by both my parents’ work, as well as by the environments surrounding us: the ocean, mountains, weather, and geology. My mother’s work continues to influence me, even though she passed away several years ago. I was drawn to abstraction because it allows me to explore and synthesize the many disparate impressions and observations I continually gather. In abstraction, I found a way to express a sense of truth and beauty without the constraints of a purely descriptive narrative. My paintings become worlds unto themselves, discovered through the process of making.
Most of my paintings are modest in scale, ranging from 6 x 6 inches to 40 x 26 inches. I use Flashe paint—a highly pigmented, water-based vinyl paint—on beveled wood panels that appear to float off the wall, with color reflected along the edges. I also work on Yupo, a synthetic paper, creating large, irregular compositions assembled from cut pieces that are pinned directly to the wall. I often think of these works as weather systems that shift and reconfigure, or as myrioramas—a deck of cards that can be endlessly rearranged into surprising new compositions.
Painting, for me, is a language built through marks—akin to words on a page—where one begins somewhere and develops from a single word, an image, or an idea. The painters of the Hudson River School relied on the structure of landscape—foreground, middle ground, and background—to create space, form, and composition.
I often work on several bodies of work simultaneously, allowing space to play, fall apart, re-balance, and begin again. For me, exploration and process are essential to the act of making a painting.
These formal elements remain important to me, though I recombine and disrupt them, mixing them together like a surprisingly good stew.
I go to my studio almost every day, whether it be in the Hudson Valley or in Maine. I divide my time between these two places, experiencing their distinct environments. I often work on several bodies of work simultaneously, allowing space to play, fall apart, re-balance, and begin again. For me, exploration and process are essential to the act of making a painting.
In July of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I needed to find a way to continue my artwork. I also wanted to connect to a political cause and began my “In Support of the USPS” project. As of October, I have made over 100 postcards that I have sent to friends, colleagues, gallerists, and some people who do not share my political views. The postcards are made with Flashe Paint on Yupo, and are all approximately 6” x 4”. Similar to baking cookies, I created batches of these pieces, giving me the daily rhythm I needed to gain a sense of purpose. I tracked the time it took for recipients to receive my cards, some of which have still never arrived. Some arrived in perfect condition, while others had nicks and tears along with a gold printed edge made by the Postal Service. I asked for photographs of the ones that did arrive, as I became interested in the demarcations and printed matter made during the transit. Taking work out of the “precious gallery” and museum environments and sending it out to so many people seemed important during these challenging and uncertain times.
Nancy Manter was born and raised in the State of Maine and has been living and working for several years between New York City and Bass Harbor, Maine.
She is a painter whose work is based on the elements of weather, the environment and landscape.
Manter has shown widely in New York, as well as throughout the United States, Europe and South America.
Her work is included in several collections including the Whitney Museum of Art, The Guggenheim Museum, The Modern Museum of Art, The National Museum of Art, Washington D.C. among others.
Manter has taught as a Visiting Artist in several prestigious Art Departments including Princeton University, Parson’s School of Design, Cooper Union, Haystack School and Stevens Institute of Technology.
Website: https://www.nancymanter.com/
Instagram: @nmanter2
All images copyright Nancy Manter.
This original work of authorship is protected under copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or use of this material without prior written consent from the author is strictly prohibited, except for brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by law.
If you would like to submit a guest blog for review of an essay or poetry (1500-2000 words), please reach out to tatteredscript@gmail.com.