A M ROUSSEAU : LINES OF INQUIRY

A new film by Eric Minh Swenson

 “A.M. Rousseau is interested in the subject of line in all its manifestations. For over 20 years she has sought to explore intimately how a rudimentary line can convey meaning. Using a deceptively simple formulation of connecting 100 points on a line to another 100 hundred points on a line, she takes her inspiration from a Paul Klee dictum: “Take a line for a walk, aimlessly for the sake of the walk.”

What happens in between is the subject of her work. She makes a line, chooses one point and follows it to wherever the mark leads, repeating the process to builds a lush field, a composition of linear energy. In other work, through a process of elimi- nating the beginning and end points, she connects bits and pieces of lines that then form shapes of their own making, each line finding a partner and forming a unique arrangement or pattern.

Each line is a metaphor for the way life happens: one point leading to another, ever changing, but with a profound dynamic spirit. For her, “Every line is a reflection of individual will, a unique indicator of purpose and direction, just as in hieroglyphics, a kind of handwriting that can be read if the system of mark making is understood.” She regards her work as meditative, the mind and body connected and finding ex- pression through motions of the arm, wrist, hand, fingers, and finally exiting via the implements of a brush, pen or pencil.

She says, “A line is energy made visible, a souvenir if you will, of something that hap- pened.” Her work has much in common with the timeless quality of ancient Chinese and Japanese calligraphy, at the same time as it is firmly rooted in contemporary art practice. This exhibition acquaints viewers with the rich variety and diverse output of her many years of work.” – Roberta Carasso, Art Critic
 
About A.M. Rousseau
A.M. Rousseau is an artist and photographer formerly of New York City and currently living in Southern California. She works with photography, painting and drawing on paper and panels. 
 
Rousseau has a deep interest in line in all of its manifestations – drawn, painted, photographed. “The Painted Line,” “Drawings by Linemen,” and “100 Points on a Line”, use different media to explore the subject of a line. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Award in Photography, a recent winner of the HARC Foundation Award, and the author of a book about homelessness in America entitled Shopping Bag Ladies: Homeless Women Speak About Their Lives.
 
For more info on Eric Minh Swenson visit his website at emsartscene.com.

EMS Legacy Films is a continuing series of short films produced by EMS on artists and exhibitions.

His art films can be seen at https://vimeo.com/channels/76542

Instagram : @ericminhswenson

Eric Minh Swenson also covers the international art scene and his writings and photo essays can be seen at Huffington Post Arts : http://m.huffpost.com/us/author/eric-minh-swenson/

Видео A M ROUSSEAU : LINES OF INQUIRY канала ERIC MINH SWENSON ART FILMS