Gwen Manfrinʼs interest lies in the exploration of the figure, particularly in the context of isolation, longing, and identity. She strives to portray a chance encounter with an individual, one that projects a tension between the inner self and oneʼs outward appearance. This social dislocation is particularly intriguing in the adolescent world, one so painfully full of angst in the desire to belong. Discomfort actually becomes a security blanket, a veiling of the uncertain inner self. Choice of clothing, expression, attitude are all details that emerge in her images, with the goal of capturing what is lost or purposely hidden.
Manfrin has chosen to work in graphite or colored pencil, the marks on the paper immediate and permanent. There is a simplicity in its graphic quality, intentionally so, to reveal as much of the sitter as possible. Her technique is realistic, her narrative conceptual.
Manfrin's current work explored watercolor as a medium, on panel. The panel has been treated with an absorbent ground, making it receptive to watercolor paint. The paint is applied in thin washes, drying in between, until the layers build up to the finished level of contrast. The panels are then treated with either an archival varnish, or encaustic, sealing the watercolor. The use of encaustic raises the level of hands on art making, as there is something profound about the bond that forms between the me and the work, almost as if it is a tangible thing. Manfrin finds that this physical connection adds to the emotional connection, as the creation and the intent behind the work is personal.
Manfrin has chosen to work in graphite or colored pencil, the marks on the paper immediate and permanent. There is a simplicity in its graphic quality, intentionally so, to reveal as much of the sitter as possible. Her technique is realistic, her narrative conceptual.
Manfrin's current work explored watercolor as a medium, on panel. The panel has been treated with an absorbent ground, making it receptive to watercolor paint. The paint is applied in thin washes, drying in between, until the layers build up to the finished level of contrast. The panels are then treated with either an archival varnish, or encaustic, sealing the watercolor. The use of encaustic raises the level of hands on art making, as there is something profound about the bond that forms between the me and the work, almost as if it is a tangible thing. Manfrin finds that this physical connection adds to the emotional connection, as the creation and the intent behind the work is personal.
