Betty Hart

I make work that falls somewhere between painting, photography, and alchemical tests. Through controlled accidents, I create visceral surfaces that speak to the gut and the emotions as much as the intellect. Using unpredictable materials and processes that are about destroying as much as making, like dipping and soaking, I set the stage for interaction and push materials to their limits. The resulting works are both surface and image, referencing atmosphere, skin, and terrain. As chance determines the configuration and detail, the work increasingly “makes itself” and brings about surprising results that vary each time the procedure is repeated. Navigating that gray area between action and restraint, I attempt to transform simple materials into something strange and extraordinary.