I am intrigued by the relationships between
mark and intension
rhythm and awkwardness
sign and context
time and presence
Each series I work on starts with conceptual and technical questions and proceeds as an inquiry. Working with an ever-expanding cast of printmaking plates I investigate their shifting meanings as their relationships and contexts change. The plates engage as both signs and actors.
Our human drive to make marks and symbols intrigues me. It took us 2,000 years to create writing and now it can take less than 2,000 days for a child to learn to read. Reading can be understood as translating, listening, constructing, or study. It changes our brains. I think about the time this takes or gives.
Rhea Nowak received her BA from Bennington College in Printmaking and Painting, her MFA from the University of Connecticut in Printmaking and Drawing, and a Master Printer Certificate from Il Bisonte, in Florence, Italy. She is a Professor of Art at SUNY Oneonta in upstate New York. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in the U.S., Europe, and China. Other projects include many exchange portfolios, and Trialogs, a collaborative DVD of images and sound with Julie Licata, percussionist, and Bret Masteller, electronic musician.