Anne Sherwood Pundyk, “Getting Lost on Purpose,” Solo Exhibition of New Prints Curated by Rainer Gross The Gallery at Holy Trinity Church, Greenport, NY March 8 - April 19 Opening Reception, Sunday, March 8, 10 am - 12 pm

“Getting Lost on Purpose,” at The Gallery at Holy Trinity Church, debuts new monoprints Anne created at the Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Austin, TX. Anne set out to translate her painting sensibility to printmaking during her month-long residency there in December. Curated by Rainer Gross, the exhibition included the prints alongside a selection of her recent paintings.

Anne observes, “Looking back on my residency, it’s clear that engaging with a new medium is more than a superficial technical exercise. It operates on a gut level. There are specialized components to master, however, to make something your own, ironically you have to let go. You have to step outside yourself while simultaneously channeling what is core to your being.”

Anne makes large, colorful, abstract paintings on unstretched canvas. She applies paint in a variety of ways. Some are similar to printmaking where she presses patterned textures and shapes onto the canvas. These effects are layered with organic forms made by staining the canvas with liquid paint. The underlying structure of her paintings is created by cropped panels of canvas sewn together in different configurations.They remain unstretched retaining their irregular borders, loose threads and disrupted surfaces.

“Chance plays a role in Anne’s painting,” Rainer recounts, “Her new prints embrace this sensibility and are just gorgeous.” Anne often begins a painting with a structure in mind and then dismantles it as she goes. Likewise, while printmaking requires precise preparation, one never knows exactly what the results will be.

Using monoprinting techniques Anne set her compositional parameters with stencils. As in her paintings, the overlapping circular elements and rectangular panels reflect her interest in portraying shifts of mood and emotion primarily through pure color. She employed varied ink effects through the use of solvent splatters, thread, and an occasional additional drypoint plate layer. Appreciating the importance of balancing both the white of the paper with the depth of darker mixed and layered hues, she learned through trial and error to recognize the moment when a print was resolved and took on a presence of its own.

Anne Sherwood Pundyk
Anne Sherwood Pundyk is an artist and writer who brings together the traditions of abstract art, textiles and storytelling. Based in Mattituck and Manhattan, NY, she has exhibited widely over the last 35 years. Since moving her primary studio to Mattituck in 2014 she has focused on working with color and form on unstretched canvas. Over the last six years she and Rainer, the show’s curator, have shared regular studio visits. annesherwoodpundyk.com