STATEMENT OF WORK

Fern T. Apfel

I am a still-life painter, however, instead of painting familiar and traditional subjects, I paint pictures of paper. This confuses some people because they believe my paintings are collaged, but in fact they are not. 

Each piece of paper is painted with multiple layers of acrylic paint. I do all the writing and fine detail work with archival pens. I work from real letters and memorabilia that I have gathered over many years and from all over the world. 

Most of the writing in these paintings can be read. The text comes from different decades and locations, but the content is endearingly timeless. 

I find great beauty in these old papers and old cards. They are nostalgic reminders of things that no longer exist and histories of bygone times. In old letters, we find loved ones, parents, old friends, and our old selves. 

Playing cards can become our companion on a rainy afternoon or an accomplice when performing a magic trick. A box of old playing cards can remind us of a past time, prompt us to ponder the part that happenstance plays in our lives, or foretell the future. 

An empty notebook, a pair of dice, or the queen of hearts - when carefully placed - can evoke an elusive and often ambiguous new meaning.

The Queen of Hearts symbolizes a sincere, loving, tender hearted woman, as well as a mother figure. The flower which appears in all four suits represents self-growth; queens are mature feminine energies who are in full control of themselves. The Queen of hearts is intuitive, creative, and compassionate. 

Space and color are key elements in these compositions, as the ephemera transform into abstract shapes. Because each piece of writing has its own story, abstraction and narration go together.

Today when emails are quickly read and deleted, these paper keepsakes survive.

Although the human figure is absent from my work, my art is deeply rooted in the human condition.