Susan Washington's work is infused with a compelling narrative that reflects her extensive engagement with collage, textiles, fashion, and art. Her artistic journey began at an early age, with lessons in origami and sumi ink drawing from her Japanese godmother, as well as watercolor instruction from her father when she was just five years old. During her teenage years, she deconstructed dressmaking as a punk fashion enthusiast. This path led her to 5th Avenue, where she worked at esteemed fashion houses like Dior and Nautica. In April 2021, Susan relocated to Baltimore, where she established a spacious studio on W. Pratt Street. In addition to her ongoing exploration of her 'Subway Sonnet' body of work, Susan frequently receives commissions for large-scale paintings and collaborates closely with designers on residential and hospitality design projects.
Gravitating
to the oeuvres of Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, and Joan Mitchell, Washington has
continued to push boundaries, re-inventing her work with each new piece while
continuing to maintain the cohesive thread that creates her signature look.
“My work is inherently autobiographical.” says
Washington. “My Subway Sonnet body of work feels as if they have been created
by random collaboration in the same way public telephone booths and trains
quickly filled up with stickers and graffiti. The surface is archaeological,
stratified with graphic artifacts as some, previously placed, are torn away and
others overlaid upon existing iconography. The picture plane is scratched and
eroded and scrawled upon. Song lyrics and Shakespearean quotes share the same
space with philosophy and street slang. There is rough poetry in the
un-painterly rhythm and coarseness of this approach. I have tied together all
the imagery and text to imbue each painting with a particular and specific
mantra that ranges from “fame” and “success” to “love” and “prosperity”. I pay
homage to post-war American art and the neo-expressionists.”
Washington
incorporates icons from the world’s religions and philosophies, pictures torn
from art and fashion magazines and references to lyrics from my favorite bands
find their way onto the canvas. All paintings are created on canvas using oil
paint, spray paint, and paper. Her work has been exhibited and collected internationally
and has also been included in film and motion pictures including The Book Club
with Diane Keaton, LA’s Finest, The Morning Show, and The Laundromat.
EXHIBITIONS
2024 Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY, USA
Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles,
CA, USA
2017-23 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2021 Boom!
Nitro Gallery
Art She Says |
Solo Exhibition
Affordable Art
Fair | Muriel Guepin
414 Light
Exhibition
Spring Exhibit at
Muriel Guepin Gallery NYC
2019 SOFA
CHICAGO with Inspired Interiors
Affordable
Art Fair NYC
Market
Art & Design | Hamptons NY
White
Room Gallery | All The Pieces
2018 Banana
Factory Arts Center Bethlehem, PA
Lachaise
Gallery at Cedar Crest University
Connexions Gallery Easton, PA
Brick
& Mortar Gallery Easton, PA
2017 Affordable
Art Fair New York, NY
2016 Cherry
Bomb, Brick and Mortar Gallery
Esquina
NYC
Threads,
Solo Exhibition, Connexions Gallery, Easton PA
Abstract
Five, Castle Inn Gallery, Delaware Water Gap, PA
Good
Company, Brick and Mortar Gallery
PRIVATE/CORPORATE COLLECTIONS:
David Hoey, Owner DENK Gallery, LA
Michael Daks, Paris College of Art, formerly Parsons Paris
Istituto Marangoni
Santa Bannon - Santa Bannon Fine Art
Russel Marisak, NYC Theater
Peter Stastny, A&C Museum Texas
TV & FILM
LA’s Finest, Sony
The Morning Show, Apple TV+
The Laundromat, Netflix
Home Economics, ABC
