Debbie Young :: Artist Statement

Debbie Young – Artist Statement

My artwork is influenced by the experience of living in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. I desire to represent the natural forces and forms of creation in such a way that they are seen anew by the viewer.

I am integrating my interest in sculpture, painting and drawing through focusing on the unique surface qualities of distressed paper and sheet metal and the intrinsic beauty of wood and stone.
I am fascinated with the process of forming paper into freestanding sculptural works with interior lighting and with compressing paper into sculptural paintings reminiscent of elemental forms, textures and colors found in nature. I have translated these ideas into distressed sheet metal and have created durable, exterior sculptural works.

Collecting driftwood is an important part of my artistic process, which allows me to use a material that I love as an instrument for creating line and to sketch in 3 dimensions. Stones that I collect provide my color palette for painting and sculpting and are sometimes embedded into the work or used to create richly colored and textured floor installations.

Photography effects the way that I see and study the environment. I have developed a body of images that are inspiring in their simplicity, which has informed my work in other media.