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Artist's StatementCalifornia is filled with extremes. Snowy mountains in the east to extreme deserts in the south ring the edges of the state while the Pacific Ocean laps the west. We have some of the deepest lakes and deserts coupled with the highest peak in the continental U.S. National parks and Wilderness lands keep areas pristine for the city dwellers to escape to. Clear blue skies fade away to smoggy days with health alerts. I want to portray the conflicts and idiosyncrasies of living in California in my work by creating narratives that reveal these dramas through telling stories, specifically stories of the northwest. Logging is of special interest because that was the main economic force in the northwest for the past century. It is now in decline because most of the virgin trees have been cut plus the second and third growth has been cut. A collection of characters and sites of the old northwest are still alive in aging tourist attractions. I like to use those stereotypes, sites and situations and put them together in stories that reveal yesterday while putting light on today and the future. Giant redwood tree timeline slabs describing world history catch my eye and spark my imagination. Nature vs. civilization is another topic for my artwork. People have become accustomed to urban life and are rapidly becoming more unfamiliar with the rural life to such a degree that wilderness areas, national parks, and wildlife are now often seen as foreign and unsafe. How people react in the wilderness is part of the California story. I use humor in my narratives to add levity to the social issues and images I portray. This lighter approach to the presentation of our conflicts with nature allows the viewer to hone in on issues and be entertained at the same time. I thoroughly hope that my artwork brings up issues for discussion, contemplation, and action.
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BioLinda MacDonald, a native Californian, has lived in the town of Willits in Mendocino County for the past thirty-five years. She grew up in the Bay Area and attended San Francisco State University earning her B.A. and M.F.A. degrees. A love of the country led her and her artist husband north to remote areas of wilderness lands. The continuing saga of life in this rural, mountainous area has become the source of ideas for her artwork. She uses an array of fantasy images based on real events and characters to present her ideas. Sometimes humor is used to ease the encounter with her charged imagery and create a friendly atmosphere between the viewer and the artwork. MacDonald began as a painter, switched to textiles and the quilt form in the 1980s, and as her work evolved and became more imagery and narrative-based, she returned to canvas and paper. She currently maintains a studio and teaches free-lance in universities and art centers. She has shown her work in many venues world wide and has artwork in the collection of the White House, the city of San Francisco, the Museum of Art and Design (MAD) in NYC, the University of Nebraska Quilt collection and in many private collections. She taught high school for many years after receiving a credential from Dominican University. She lives with her husband, artist Robert Comings and has two grown children, both artists. |