Kim Marcucci
b: Oregon 1957
My work is characterized by large, bold brushwork, and vibrant, rich color. My interest, as an abstract colorist is in the painting process, and specifically the challenge of expressing emotion through the language of color, texture, movement and line. My work is about the paint; the color; the interactions; and the energy to create marks that are authentic.
Having lived in Alaska most of my life, I am inspired by the beauty and power of the natural environment. Cultural markings and pattern influenced by Indigenous heritage reference language, tools, dance, drumming, sewing, health, and, hunting and gathering customs. A focus of my work is an ongoing investigation of cultural similarities between geographically different First Peoples cultures and traditions.
A painting begins with quick, intuitive mark making. I interact with each brush stroke in a conversation with the canvas. By continually adding layers of acrylic paint and markings, a rich surface develops while still respecting the passages underneath. Passages may reflect a full range of feelings or focus only on a few, whether strong and loud, or sensitive and quiet. In my daily studio practice, painting is my way to communicate and process the movement of life.
Art has always been a part of my creative family. My mother painted, one aunt danced in the NYC ballet, the other fluent in many languages, one triplet brother a writer, the other triplet brother a chef, and my grandmother fostered the arts in the whole family. My appreciation of art started at a young age growing up with the opera, live theater and ballet. During high school, I took a painting class and my work was disapproved of because it wasn’t “realistic,” which thwarted my interest for a while. After high school, I traveled to Canada and lived in a log cabin in the wilderness for almost a year. This sparked my interest in the “Last Frontier” and my move to Alaska in 1977. I didn’t pick up a brush again until I was in my thirties and chose painting over computers as my major in college. While raising my two children, I graduated in 1995 magna cum laude with a BFA in Painting and a Minor in Fiber from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. After exploring all the different genres, it was the challenges of abstraction that held my interest. I developed my style of layering during college, using combinations of acrylic, charcoal, oil, and collage materials enveloped in acrylic medium. My reputation for always being covered with paint from head to toe is a reflection of my uninhibited exuberance in painting!
Sarah Gonzales, Alaska Home Magazine writes — “She fused reds, greens, blues, oranges, and yellow into fierce, abstract paintings that teem with exuberance— a word that describes both the artwork and the artist.”My ideas are expressed through the language of color, composition, form and texture.”
Representation
Stephan’s Fine Art Gallery, Becky Stephan is the owner. The gallery is located inside The Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, AK
beckySFA@yahoo.com
Georgia Blue Fine Art Gallery, Georgia Blue-owner
georgia@georgiabluegallery.com