Karen Matheis Oil Painting

Transitory Fields

Transitory Fields is a collection of work that combines paper, canvas, and thread. It examines the role of memory while driving near my home in Lawrence, Kansas, with the understanding that daily travel is an important part of those living in remote areas in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Some spend hours a day in their vehicles driving to and from work. 

When recalling a memory or experience, events are pieced together to form an impression that is often distorted. Sporadic trees that are momentarily observed while driving are recalled with vivid detail. Close-up images are contrasted with a reconstructed view of the land with the use of a grid to depict a flat topography that is reinterpreted with fluidity. In addition, investigation of painterly methods to portray the event are engaged. 

The tradition of landscape is combined with textile sewing methods. Paper squares containing trees are added in a rough and unpolished basting stitch. Basting stitches are regarded as temporary and intended to be removed, similar to the fleeting moment in which the object seen or other memories are experienced. Colored shapes are used to perceive fields as quilt-like with roads weaving in and out.