J. Diane Martonis, Artist

Memory and ambiguity are concepts I explore by assembling selected imagery to unearth instinctual response, self-reflection, and an open narrative.

The focus of this series is a cottage on Chautauqua Lake in Western New York where I spent every summer since birth. It was dubbed ‘Justamere Cottage’ by my grandmother for its simplicity and vintage, bare-bones personality. Exploring my memories and history through fragments of information that are collected and assembled, the reality of Justamere’s history becomes a new translation that is simplified and whimsical.

Cut paper lends a quiet fragility to my work. It is delicate, intricate, and subtle. Layering and overlapping creates shadows that echo the original, producing a repetition of shape and value. It is this play with light and shadow that I want to explore, using a simple medium to manipulate texture and form through cutting and sculpting. Through cast shadows, the space around the work becomes activated, transforming two-dimensional work into three-dimensional space.

Text and images from artist's website. Link here.