Faculty:

RenÉ West

PHOTOGRAPHY
Senior Lecturer
(MFA, Texas Woman's University)

office: FA-379B
phone: 817-272-3396
email: renewest@uta.edu

Artist's Statement

Things catch my eye, a long forgotten scrapbook, a broken doll, a metal horse and rider. I want them but I don't know why. They lay around with other things in my studio; trinkets found in flea markets, fragments of paper, rusted pieces of metal. It is curious to me why some things are thrown out and others are saved. I like objects that reveal on the surface, the journey of their existence. For me, it is as if they bear witness to our humanity.

Juxtaposition is a mysterious thing. The objects and images become an unspoken language, and meaning lies within the relationships of the unrelated. I seek to tell stories about the world around me through the fragments that have been discarded by others. Gathering the objects is easy; the difficulty lies in putting them together in meaningful ways.

As an artist, I am interested in merging technology and history, in both subject matter and technique. Cutting edge digital imaging is blended with historical photographic processes, mixed media, book arts, and assemblage. I am also interested in language, storytelling, and songwriting, and perform as a singer/songwriter. Throughout all of these seemingly dissimilar threads, I seek to weave the story of my experiences, which are unique to this time and place.

"Choosing Sides"
20"x16"
C-Print
2001

"Ephemera #9"
17"x13"
Giclèe print
2004

"Violation"
26"x24"
Cyanotype, paper, canvas, wood frame
2003