Terry Svat
If we judge by what has been preserved through the ages, we can see that the first artists made images in an effort to communicate with the forces that had power over their lives. Perhaps their imagery was a talisman or prayer of sorts to ease their journey through life, helping them deal with their joys and life struggles. Over the past 30 some years, my art has been influenced by the various ways in which people and societies not only leave their mark on their civilizations but also provide a legacy of images, symbols, and monuments that can speak to other societies and other times. Because I have also had the opportunity to live and travel abroad, I was able to study some of the symbols and images of those places. I explored huacas from Pre-Columbian period, symbols and images of Stonehenge and Machu Picchu, the significance of the Berlin Wall and its demise, Apartheid, and our own Vietnam Wall.
My works are more of an inquiry into the efforts of mark markers in other societies, while trying to encourage an interaction with life forces. Working as an art therapist has opened my mind to understanding more fully these connections. I want my work to convey a sense of connectivity, a flow of past to the present and back again.
I have chosen to use various forms of traditional and experimental etching; Zinc, Copper, Plexiglas, Linocut, Solar Plate, ImagOn, pastel transfer, and other forms of printing to compliment my exploration. Found materials are incorporated into handmade paper that is made from recycled prints.
Visit Terry Svat’s Studio Store for artwork available for sale.
Images from Left to Right
Isolation, Collagraph in 3D, 2018
Windows III, Collagraph wrapped on canvas with inset relief roll and etching, 2018
Two Sides, Collagraph wrapped on canvas with cut-out windows with etching and drawing, 2019
Windows I, Collagaph wrapped on canvas Cut-out window with 3D inset, 2019
Screened In, Solarplate Etching, 2020
No Entry, Collagraph wrapped on canvas with collaged fragments and ink drawings on sides