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Artist Statement

I am interested in exploring thoughts and conversations people have with themselves and others, relationships people have with other people, the physical and metaphysical world. I try to do this through symbolism and abstraction. The figure forms take on evocative poses and gestures. They are filled with imagery of plant and mineral - continuing a theme of life's interconnectedness and humanity's relationship to the natural world. The thoughts, conversations and ideas are represented with abstract gesture.

My work starts with photographs I take and then use to make paper stencils of the figures. I play with them like paper dolls, moving them around on the page and finding relationships and conversations that are implied by the space on the paper. Once I settle on a composition, I use the stencils with photopolymer intaglio printing plates of natural elements, like leaves and stone. I then print the figures, creating the relationships to one another and to the larger space. I use watercolor, pencil and ink to work back into the prints to add the abstracted thoughts and conversations.

Biographical Sketch

Professionally, Liz Chalfin is visual artist and art educator. She is founder and director of Zea Mays Printmaking in Florence, Massachusetts. Liz exhibits her prints, drawings and installations regionally and nationally in solo and group exhibitions. Liz headed the printmaking department, taught studio art and art education at Whittier College, CA for nine years before moving to the Northeast in 1997. She worked as an artist-in-the-schools in the greater Los Angeles area and as a teaching artist at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Liz served as the Associate Curator of Education at the University Art Museum, California State University, Long Beach and most recently at the Smith College Museum of Art.

Zea Mays Printmaking is a studio/workshop dedicated to research, education and collaborations in safer and non-toxic printmaking. Zea Mays Printmaking offers classes and workshops, open studio time and artist/printer collaborations.

       Contact Information

E-mail:     liz@zeamaysprintmaking.com
Website:  www.lizchalfin.com
Address:  221 Pine Street
               Florence, MA 01062

Zea Mays Printmaking: www.zeamaysprintmaking.com