Stacie Birky Greene

Artist Bio

Originally from Colorado, Stacie Birky Greene received degrees in Art and Art History from the University of Kentucky. She has also studied in Florence, Italy, and at the Chicago Art Institute. While painting was the focus of her training, she has explored her art in a wide variety of media, including drawing, performance, photography, and video.

The central focus of Stacie's recent work has been to explore nature through a combination of materials and techniques. One often finds in her work a surprising interplay between light and material, as the use of wood, metal, and encaustics twists a subject's identity in favor of revealing a textural undercurrent. Sometimes she makes a similar statement by juxtaposing seemingly disparate images. In either case, the parallels she draws between subject and material forms a poetic that transcends media boundaries.

Birky Greene lives in San Diego where she exhibits locally and nationally. She has taught art to children and adults for the last ten years.

Statement

I relate to my surroundings through a seamless connection between visual and tactile processing of colors and textures. I explore this connection through drawing, painting, photography and encaustic each one having characteristics which appeal to me. My interest in each medium has prompted me to combine them, creating an intriguing interplay between the textures revealed through alternative photographic processes and those created by the brush and with wax media.

Textures and forms found in nature inspire me to take a photograph and bring paint to the canvas. For me, organic textures describe life’s struggles and triumphs. I am interested in the way life perpetuates itself, how it adapts, and the subtle manner in which it moves beyond that which tries to retain it, especially those constraints that are man-made. Consider the way water carves through the rocks or cracks a wall, or a vine grows through bricks. Such phenomena are reminders of the power and persistence of nature. I also seek out parallels in nature. For example, living in Southern California, I am often struck by the similarities between the desert and the ocean: cactus and coral have similar shapes. Strange parallels compel me to create new work.

Alternative photographic processes allow me the opportunity to explore the unique interaction between a photograph and wood or art paper. The dimensions of this interaction are unpredictable but the result. For example, where the wood’s texture and hues are highlighted and ultimately incorporated into the photographic image prompts a highly personal response. Thus the painting that surrounds the image is a reaction not only to the photograph itself, but also to its new manifestation. The addition of encaustic creates a new layer of depth and texture. The process of making these pieces appeals to me, because each added layer is inherently unpredictable. Even as I have some control I find it important to allow things to happen organically. To arrive at a balance between media and images is a goal, which sustains my enthusiasm for the work I am creating now and that which I have yet to produce.

View Artist's Resume