Susan Wagner

My image anchors are based on landscape, architecture, and organic and geometric forms, and through these, I express my particular sensibility, which is an attraction to undercurrents and atmospheres.

My intent is to reveal the feeling that is familiar but undefinable. The German poet Novalis identifies that as stimmung: “…as all that escapes definition, explanation, and their rigidity; it is all that is felt rather than understood, that belongs to the dark infinite reason of the soul…”  When I came across this quote, it expressed my intent perfectly. After having moved around the country a lot, landscapes seem to hold particular mysteries of time and place and memory. In the shapes of the landscape, I can tell a story.

I experiment with materials. I almost exclusively work with oil paint, however, I started using Venetian plaster on the canvas in some paintings about 8 years ago as another texture dimension. I deliberately use it within my composition armature. I also make monotypes, paper cutouts or collage, and mixed media work.  Many times I mix medias by using paint, paper and other juicy materials. See my work at www.susanwagnerart.com 

Many of my collages are now available as high quality prints! See them on my website: susanwagnerart.com 

Susan has exhibited in many juried shows, won awards for her paintings and has garnered the attention of media journalists and leaders in the arts community. In addition to the Twin Cities, her work is in private collections in New York, NY, Roanoke, VA, Portland OR, Dallas, Las Vegas, Sweden. Her latest work, Pink Sun, was at the Minneapolis/ St. Paul International Airport for the exhibition: Art of Abstraction.