ARTIST STATEMENT

History and abstraction are at the core of my work. I produce paintings, drawings, and sculptures based on the regional history of the United States, with a focus on immigration, and the human impact on the land.

In 1979, I immigrated from Europe to the United States. In contrast with my upbringing, America seems to be in constant motion. Jobs, homes, families, neighborhoods, and wealth can all change in the blink of an eye. How can I understand these complex phenomena? Instead of trying to grasp the whole picture, I focus on local history and organize my work in collections tailored to each area I study. My research starts with the effect that humans have had on this land. The landscape bears the marks of the people who have lived here through the millennia. The exploitation and allocation of the available resources have caused enormous political and societal changes. I follow those lines, looking, getting lost, backtracking, and finding new threads. The news of the day mixes with the past and becomes an ever-changing tapestry. American history is a rabbit hole of information I love to fall into.

In the studio, the bewildering effect of the research spurs my imagination. The information I gather creates abstract shapes in my mind, that is how I see the world. The first image that comes into focus while reading drives my work in the studio. Paintings, drawings, and sculptures naturally crystallize around shapes, motifs, and colors that refer to each area. I work with vinyl emulsions, watercolors, inks, and pencils on paper or canvas of various sizes. The sculptures are made of repurposed materials, wires, and paper-mâché’.

I have been fortunate to exhibit in several museums focusing on history. These venues have allowed me to tailor the works to the space and the needs of their communities. At openings and events, I have found that visitors enjoy guessing abstract references and are interested in how an outsider like me sees them. As the community gathers and visits with one another, the exhibitions become a way to connect and reminisce.

I have learned a lot through the decades of committing to abstraction and history, yet I need more. I want to keep going, know more, do more. As an artist, it is ultimately all I ask.

BIOGRAPHY

Carole d’Inverno (b. 1956, Spa, Belgium) is a research-driven artist focusing on

American history. Her paintings and drawings investigate themes of immigration,

and human impact on the land. Notable solo exhibitions include the Duluth

Art Institute, Duluth, MN; Atlantic Gallery, NY, NY; The Massillon Museum, Massillon,

OH; The Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC; PENN State University, Altoona,

PA; and the State University of New York, Rochester, NY. d’Inverno has participated in

exhibitions at the Maitland Art and History Museums, Maitland, FL; North Seattle

College Art Gallery, Seattle, WA; NARS Foundation, NY, NY; Schweinfurth Art Center,

Auburn, NY; Notre Dame of Maryland University, Baltimore, MD; and the Ronald Barr

Gallery, Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, IN, amongst others.

d’Inverno lives and works in New York.