October 2021 - Beth Wittenberg

The Rochester Public Library is pleased to present the artwork of Beth Wittenberg during the month of October. Beth Wittenberg is a professional contemporary artist living and working in Rochester, NH. When asked to describe her current body of work, Wittenberg provided the following:

Artist Statement - Urban Landscapes 2021

I have been working with stencils since 2013. My good friend Mike has provided me with laser cut steel stencils as well as stencils I have cut myself. My goal is to try to build interesting compositions using color, shape, pattern and texture. I'm very interested in the over lapping of stencils to create depth. The visual energy of the artwork reflects my movement around the canvas.

Intuitive decision, both random and calculated are made in rapid succession. Often times spray painting on top of wet paint. Abstracted from the man-made world , I use a lexicon of simplified images, of objects, numbers and symbols which I have been building on since 1991. This vocabulary reflects my interest in the mystery of existence and I use the images as a tool of divination - as a way of decoding my life. These paintings are from my series - Urban Landscapes - (more like "mind-scapes). There are currently over 100 paintings in the series with no end in sight.

I have been creating artwork professionally for 30 years. I create a lot of artwork. I am very prolific and I have been transformed by using my stencils. It allows me to move quickly and succinctly. There is freedom I have not felt before due to the rapid way the paintings are created. I work on many paintings at once and often times believe a painting is completed only to be called back for additional layers. I allow for breathing room by leaving some of the canvas untouched by paint. My intention is to engage and electrify the viewer by directing ones eyes around the composition while also allowing for visual breaks. It is my hopes that the viewer finds themselves sucked into the painting to try and decode the alternatives within.

The Rochester Public Library is located at 65 South Main Street. Call 332-1428 or visit www.rpl.lib.nh.us for more information.