Artist’s Statement
I’ve always rebelled against limitations and maybe that’s why I became an abstract painter. I love walking into the studio not knowing what’s going to happen. A rule breaker by nature, I embrace the freedom to experiment, which keeps the process fresh for me and gives a sense of endless possibility. Abstract expressionism deeply influences my work, offering autonomy from the limits of known object or form. My process is very physical, scraping away, building and scribbling, to create a textured surface that somehow conveys an idea, a mood or emotion that is deeply human. A natural sense of color and composition guide my work, but emotion and spontaneity give it life. There is a certain, comforting order underlying the chaos on every canvas. I like to “violate the canvas” to use Diebenkorn’s words, bury the evidence, and then excavate it again. Hard edge against soft, an emphatic line over textured background, marks that come in and out of view will give a hint of object, or trigger a memory, challenging the viewer to explore beneath the surface.
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Biography
Suzie Buchholz is a Bay Area-based abstract painter with a playful yet rebellious approach to the tradition of Abstract Expressionism. Her process is highly physical, driven by an instinct for harmony of color and form. Inspired by the tangled and fragile moments of daily life, her work combines a gritty, street-wise sensibility with an uncanny, painterly tenderness.
Buchholz holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and Certificat from the Aterlier du Soliel, Aix en Provence, France. She is the recipient of several residencies, including Djerassi Artists Program, the Bay Area Discovery Museum, and Sant’Anna in Camprena, Pienza, Italy. Her work has been exhibited throughout the US and Europe, including Galerie Ruban Vert in Aix-en-Provence, France, Colorida Gallery in Lisbon, Portugal, Galerie Mani in Berlin, Germany and Galleria di Biblioteca in Pienza, Italy. A multimedia installation “Pills for Parents” was exhibited at Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco, and was part of the Zero1 Biennial. Her work is the collections of Presidio of San Francisco, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Djerassi and numerous corporate and private collections.