ArtPrize at Acton: Quiet Spaces with Artist Marissa Voytenko

Schedule

Artist's Statement

As a child I struggled with auditory and visual dyslexia-where sounds and letters get all jumbled up in one's mind-so ordering became very important to me. It was like a lifeboat in the sea of what seemed like a chaotic mess of words. Today, I am still interested in the themes of order and chaos. My paintings explore these concepts as found in the psychological realm and in the natural world.

My work is centered around structures-squares, grids, blocks and towers-and occasional text and drawn images. When I begin creating, I am very organized, structured, and precise as I map out my composition. The further into the process I get, the more expressive and intuitive my approach becomes. The imagery is abstract and at the same time symbolic. My inspiration draws from a myriad of places and experiences-from my childhood years to playing with my own children.

About the Artist

Marissa  Voytenko is an abstract encaustic painter, whose “two-dimensional” work spans the axes of fear/freedom and order/disorder. She explores these relatable psychological themes through the framework of her trademark grids and squares. Marissa is the recipient of the prestigious Alden B. Down Solo Exhibition Award from the Dow Museum of Art and Science in Midland, Michigan and a fellowship from the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center in Forest Hills, MI. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States and at the Primus Gallery in L’viv, Ukraine. Born and raised in Northern California, Marissa has travelled widely and lived for various stretches of time in Italy, Belgium, Austria and Ukraine. She received her BA in Art from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California and Master of Fine Arts from Boston University. Marissa currently lives and works in Grand Rapids, MI together with her husband and two young children.

Marissa has entered her work into the 2015 ArtPrize event. Click here for more information or to vote on her work.