An exploration of the interaction of process, material, color, and form, my work is highly focused on abstraction and non-representation. I employ research, a commitment to personal aesthetic, and material studies to guide each piece. I generally gravitate toward printmaking; however, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and lack of access to print studios, this work is an explorative oil painting. There is an overt spatial flatness to my work, which is enriched with color, line, texture, and form.
Untitled, ISO sways slightly from my previous non-representational body of work, grounding its base in geographic location and space, exploring ideas of isolation and abstraction which parallel this unprecedented period. The current crisis brings new meaning and reference to these terms and ideas. Drawing inspiration from the grid of streets next to the studio in South Lake Union where it was painted, this composition was created using oil paint, scotch tape, and large palette knives, employing some elements of printmaking and print techniques. Process was the principal factor that guided this body of work; Untitled, ISO was ultimately constructed through layering multiple compositions, each one a new reaction to the lines and forms previously made on the board. Each image depicts both the process and an individual resolved piece—a constant change and evolution, as well as an unknown, in what the next step forward will produce. This piece was created in a time of isolation and unknown, themes that are visually significant in the work through the process of erasure and renewal process, as well as the visual elements in the work produced. Heavily influenced by minimalist abstract art of the mid-20th century, as well as the community of artists I grew up surrounded by, my work generally follows minimalist philosophy, in that the medium drives the work and the decisions made. Though this piece is loosely based on a geographic space, it is really a representation of personal aesthetic, movement, intersecting paint and print processes, and paint as a medium.
Anna Fotheringham’s work draws largely from aesthetic elements rooted in the community in which Fotheringham was raised. Born in Seattle, Fotheringham grew up among visual artists, designers, musicians, and other creative individuals whose work has largely impacted her work, namely Victoria Haven, an artist and mentor who has greatly influenced Fotheringham’s work. Geometric and minimalist abstraction, as well as the intersection of line, form, color, and material, are all elements that guide Fotheringham’s work.
Attending the University of Washington and pursuing a double major in International Studies and Art, Fotheringham found a true flow state in printmaking in her second year. Her professors and educators in the print program, Curt Labitzke, Claire Cowie, and Kim Van Someren, have all influenced Fotheringham’s work in different ways, guiding her art practice to emphasize flexible decision making, acute awareness of process, and sensitivity to material.