Monday, April 15, 2024

Linda Emmerman

Artist :: Educator

"Drawing without a net"

Born and raised in Chicago, I was influenced early on by many trips to the Art Institute of Chicago. I was especially intrigued by the twentieth century modern collection because although I wasn’t sure what I was seeing, I wanted to know more.

After earning my BS in Art at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and my MFA from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, I embarked on a forty year teaching career that included the Art Institute of Chicago, North-East Missouri State University, and Southern Methodist University. Currently I am retired after teaching for the past thirty-five years at W. R. Harper College in Palatine, IL.

I have exhibited throughout the U.S. in solo, invitational, and juried exhibitions. Recently I have also been interviewed about my work for The Southeast Review, a southern Atlantic literary magazine, and Voyage Chicago, an online publication.

My current series of drawings began by experimenting with non traditional drawing tools, such as string, screws, and paper clips. As I explored the gestures each tool suggested, I found images and marks that were unique to each tool. Although I was stimulated by their less predictable nature, I found I had to strike a balance between turning myself completely over to it, yet exerting enough control to develop an image. I chose to working black and white to keep focus on the form and structure. Additionally, the indelibleness of India ink presented a precarious “flying without a net” quality that challenged me to respond in dialogue with the piece as it progressed. As these works built through the accretion of marks they began to resemble structures found in nature. The complex and bold, direct nature of these drawings is a satisfying result as these pieces become provocative, independent life forms. They continue to provide the impetus for further exploration.