CARRIE KAUFMAN  

CARRIE KAUFMAN  ARTIST STATEMENT

NOT UNLIKE A PATCHWORK QUILT, MY WORK IS CONSTRUCTED OF SMALL FORMS THAT BUILD ON EACH OTHER TO BECOME A COMPLEX IMAGE.  BITS AND PIECES OF PAPER, FIBER, PAINT AND FOUND OBJECTS INTERPLAY AND THE IMAGE COMES TO LIFE.

IT’S EASY TO TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY.  CREATING MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE BRINGS BALANCE TO MY LIFE AND WHIMSY TO MY WORLD.  I LOVE COLOR AND TEXTURE AND I STRIVE TO MAKE THE WALLS OF OUR EVERYDAY LIVES SING WITH PLEASURE AND DELIGHT.

CARRIE KAUFMAN WAS BORN IN EUGENE, OREGON INTO A FAMILY WHERE ART WAS VERY MUCH A PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE.  KAUFMAN GREW UP IN THE PORTLAND AREA.  HER FATHER, AN ARCHITECT, AND HER MOTHER, A MULTI-TALENTED VISUAL ARTIST, ENCOURAGED KAUFMAN’S CREATIVE PURSUITS FROM AN EARLY AGE.  

KAUFMAN LIVED IN HAWAII FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS WHERE SHE WAS ACTIVE IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY.  SHE HELPED LAUNCH A COOPERATIVE ARTS AND CRAFT CENTER IN WINDWARD OAHU, OWNED A FABRIC BOUTIQUE IN HONOLULU THAT SPECIALIZED IN QUILTING AND HOME DÉCOR, DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED HAND-PAINTED AND EMBELLISHED CLOTHING FOR THE TOURISM MARKET, AND PARTICIPATED IN THE PACIFIC HANDCRAFTERS GUILD. HER WORK IS INFLUENCED BY THE ISLAND’S ASIAN CULTURE AND THE VIBRANT COLORS OF HAWAII’S LANDSCAPE.

AFTER MOVING BACK TO OREGON, KAUFMAN BEGAN FOCUSING HER ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS ON WORKING IN MIXED MEDIA.  SHE INCORPORATES UNUSUAL EMBELLISHMENTS AND UNIQUE COLLECTED OBJECTS, LAYERING THEM WITH COLORFUL ART PAPER, FIBERS, PAINT, -- AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT CATCHES HER EYE -- TO CREATE HER OWN DISTINCTIVE APPROACH TO MIXED MEDIA.  SHE CONTINUES TO EXPERIMENT AND EVOLVE HER STYLE.

KAUFMAN HOLDS A BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE FROM LINFIELD COLLEGE.  SHE IS THE MOTHER OF TWO GROWN SONS AND A DELIGHTED GRANDMOTHER OF TWO. SHE RESIDES IN LAKE OSWEGO.  ALTHOUGH ART IS HER PASSION, KAUFMAN ALSO FINDS FULFILLMENT WORKING AS A NONPROFIT PROFESSIONAL. SHE HAS WORKED TO ENHANCE THE CULTURAL VITALITY OF COMMUNITIES THROUGH HER ROLES WITH BRITT FESTIVALS, SALEM ART ASSOCIATION, AND THE HAWAII THEATRE CENTER. SHE CURRENTLY SERVES ON THE CLACKAMAS COUNTY CULTURAL COALITION, THE ARTS COUNCIL OF LAKE OSWEGO GALLERY WITHOUT WALLS SELECTION COMMITTEE, AND HER NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD.