Artist Statement

Inspired by the landscape of natural forms, my work is the result of an improvisatory process of interaction with a site or situation. Installations are the material result of an ephemeral exploration of the connections between all life forms. Individual oil pastel brushstrokes on vinyl, are adhered by static electricity, like colorforms, on layers of transparent translucent vinyl. All elements are removable, repositionable and reusable to facilitate interaction.

Centered in drawing and painting, my studio practice has led me to pursue a variety of activities such as collaborative performance, which have had a profound effect on my process of art-making. The performance Philosophical Toys: The Docent, presented at REDCAT and MOCA in 2004, was a multimedia event where the audience watched me create a drawing, related to a dancer moving with original music, projected on a scrim across the entire width of the stage. Together we exposed the space of the ephemeral and the inner workings of the creative process.

In a second component of these performances my painting, on clear Plexiglas, literally left the wall and entered center stage. As the painting became a sculptural object, it was physically transformed into an interactive field of play. In 2005 and 2006, the installations Aquarium and Waterfall directly resulted from the clear Plexiglas painting in the performance. Both installations were created on site, in response to the specific environment. I reused the same vinyl materials, while adding and subtracting color and brushstrokes specific to each installation.

Through my interaction with this plastic vinyl material, I have become increasing aware of the collisions and contradictions between the artificial landscape and the natural world. These installations are reflective of the earth where we have the opportunity to re-generate, re-invent and re-strategize for the future.

 Education

1990 MFA California State University, Long Beach
1980 BA Gustavus Adolphus College. St. Peter, MN

 Bio

Cheryl Walker has participated in over 100 exhibitions and her work is held in private collections in the United States, Mexico, Lebanon, the Netherlands and Germany. In the past five years, Walker’s drawing-based work has led her to pursue a variety of activities such as: collaborative performances at REDCAT in Disney Hall and MOCA in Los Angeles; a residency in the Netherlands; a public art commission in Santa Monica; and a solo installation in Albuquerque, NM.

Walker has taught at USC, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Long Beach, Long Beach City College, West Los Angeles College, and UCLA Extension. She currently teaches at Santa Monica Emeritus College and at MOCA, Los Angeles.

She has also collaborated on education projects with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Los Angeles Opera. Her current studio practice investigates the relationship of movement and drawing as an act of performance.

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