Glen Gauthier, submitted artwork
Glen Gauthier
Painting
Chicago
Glen Gauthier is a mixed media artist working in collage often combined with other materials. Originally from south Louisiana, and currently living and working in Chicago, Glen uses printed ephemera to construct a new reality, one that’s been living in his mind for most of his life. Glen received a BFA from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1988, with a degree in Advertising Design. He has shown his work in galleries and art fairs in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Louisiana. Glen’s work has also been published internationally in art magazines and various online publications.
Works
Glen Gauthier, submitted artwork
My medium is mixed-media collage, utilizing printed ephemera as a kind of time machine. These materials with a history have fascinated me since childhood. They serve as the raw materials for my work. The bits and pieces have been stuck in the dark, and I get to uncover them like an archaeologist, combining them with other things to give them new life and unforeseen purpose. Physically, I cut and glue paper to various surfaces, including stretched canvas, Masonite or cradled wood panels. I work primarily in two main p rocesses. The first is complex and detailed and involves mostly conscious thought to create visual meaning from a preconceived idea. The second is more subconscious and in the moment, purposely faster, abstract, and more visceral, halting my preconceived ideas before they take root. I explore universal themes such as consumerism, the beauty of the ordinary and human connection (or lack thereof). My work also points inward, allowing me to address my past through previously buried memories and emotions. I also bring true stories from my South Louisiana childhood to life to serve as both a form of visual storytelling and markers that validate my existence. My artwork is a means of communication. A two-way radio that speaks through time - past, present - and an imagined future. I am in constant communication with versions of myself, first and foremost, and I invite viewers to resonate with what I’ve created and glean their own personal meaning.
