Artist's Statement

I’ve always been fascinated by how we perceive the world—how everything around us is constantly shifting, moving, and changing, and how our minds work to make sense of it all. The way we interpret fragments of an experience and turn into meaning continues to inspire me. In my work, I try to capture some of life’s fluidity - those fleeting moments that resonate within me. I begin with formal concerns - structuring spatial shifts and composition being paramount. Stories will often emerge as the pieces develop and dimensions build.

My subject matter continues to expand and evolve, reflecting an endless curiosity about life in motion. This diversity—whether expressed through figures, animals, landscapes, or abstracted forms—is always connected by a painterly approach that emphasizes gesture, movement, and sometimes emotion. I’m drawn to the tactile process of painting and drawing, allowing marks and layers to reveal the passage of time and the complexity of perception.

Drawing from observation is, for me, a way to record personal experience. Over time, these visual notes build up into a kind of map of perception—something deeply individual to each artist. I also see a strong connection between drawing and other (sports) practices that rely on repetition and hand–eye coordination. There’s something about doing something over and over that deepens intuition and sensitivity to the world around us. We practice what we love, always trying to get closer to it and better at it.

Nature is an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. Animals and other living creatures often find their way into my work—they mostly live quiet, often secret lives in the natural world that I find endlessly moving. I’ve always felt that the more vulnerable a being is, the more it deserves our care and protection. Through my art, I hope to honor these creatures and encourage a sense of compassion and awareness of them.

Artists who have deeply influenced me include Marcel Duchamp, Alberto Giacometti, Paul Cézanne, and Jenny Saville. Like the Cubists, they share an aesthetic rooted in drawing and an understanding of the physical presence of things. I’m especially drawn to how Giacometti revealed not just form, but the space around it—the way his layered, transparent structures seem to breathe. These artists continue to inspire my own search for clarity while experiencing and recording my perceptual testimony of life in flux.

Mary W. Broadie Morgan, BFA, MFA

marymorganart.com