Kathleen Zimmerman

Artist Statement

My art is the way I explore ideas concerning both day-to-day life as well as more profound ideas surrounding relationships, the environment and culture. It is a meditative practice of sorts that helps me stop and think about life. Over the years, I have developed a personal visual language that uses symbolism and surrealism to transform my subject matter into archetypal images. I have been told this gives my work a mythical quality making them both timely as well as timeless.

I create my art in series so I can fully investigate my subject matter. The size of each series is determined by what I need to think through and what holds my interest. While all my art plays well together, most are complete works of art on their own. Bear Hugs, Evening & Morning Star, and Wo Man Series are exceptions in that they are bonded pairs that were created together and need each other to complete the visual statement.

I am often asked where I find inspiration for my artwork. In answer to this, I would say life is full of inspiration and I find it wherever I happen to be. It may be when I am traveling in other countries, or when I lived in China, or here in the States. I find if I look to nature, ideas for new work are all around me. I have found inspiration looking at trees that were peeking through a window in a thoughtfully crafted room in Japan. I was inspired by a sweet-faced mud-covered cow I saw standing by a road in Thailand. A delightful, spotted creature running through the woods in the States, has sparked new ways of thinking. These are just a few examples, and their resulting artwork can be seen in my Landscape, Cosmic, and (e)Xtrasensory Series'.

When I am thinking about what my mission as an artist is, I have to say that I strive to create work that is aesthetically, and emotionally, meaningful. The fact that I portray all living beings as equals to be considered, and valued, is very important to me both as an artist, and a person.

The historically important artists I most admire are Kathe Kollwitz, a German/ Expressionistic printmaker/sculptor, Remedios Varo, a Spanish/Mexican Surrealistic painter; Georgia O’Keeffe, an American Modern painter; Brancusi, a Romanian Minimalist sculptor; and Elizabeth Catlett, an American/Mexican Modern printmaker/sculptor. These very different artists all inspired me to create my own visual language, which is accessible to others while remaining intimately personal.