Eric Cutten
Artist Statement:
My artwork has always had an innocence and quirkiness to it in its creative process with a playfulness and ever-present thought-provoking aspect to the work. My work straddles the folk-art realm in my opinion due to these qualities. The work may not always be technically executed to perfection but nonetheless is created from the heart, mind and soul which lies within and carries my unique perspective and distinctive, valid, and thoroughly passionate voice.
Stories, whether through the written word or an artist’s hand is what I am all about in my work and I employ both medians through assemblage pieces with found objects and my self-taught painting skills. As a collector of objects for most of my life I gravitate towards those items, either odd or ordinary, that speak to me. It is the history of these items that intrigue me and draw me in, whether factual or fictitious. I collect for my own visual stimulating pleasure and with the intent for some of the objects to one day be transformed by me into new stories and given fresh breath.
My works, in both two- and three-dimensional realms and in all its enthusiasm and cheekiness create a narrative (the more recent boxed pieces I refer to as “enshrined stories.” Some are based upon the Burt Bacharach & Hal David tunes from the 1960’s-70’s. The songbook from which I learned how to play the piano as a child.), and though I may have a somewhat preconceived notion in mind, sometimes as the objects or paint are pieced together the story will then reveal itself to me. But it is up to the viewer with their imagination to come up with their own storyline that will then lead into their dream cycle after. I am simply here to offer the jumping off point.
Artist Bio:
I am an artist and provocateur. Entrenched in history and a part of history. I grew up in the pastoral setting of the Hudson River Valley (think of the 19th century Hudson River School of Painting). Growing up in the 1960’s I would spend one week each summer with my brothers at our paternal grandmother’s, an antiques dealer (who rests in peace at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery). Her home and shop resided in one of the oldest standing structures in the state of New York, dating back to the 1600’s, a former stagecoach stop. Rich in stories and history, like every object within her shop, each summers visit was like a fantastic treasure hunt. I was immersed and the collecting instinct was given life.
Formal training in the arts came while attending four years (1978-82) of school at the Atlanta College of Art, located in the High Museum of Art, where I majored in printmaking and sculpture. I would then go on to be hired in 1985 at Betsey Johnson, the prolific American fashion designer who exploded on to the scene in the 1960’s (and was part of Andy Warhol’s Factory), eventually becoming the Creative Director for Betsey’s Retail Division. After thirteen years with Betsey, in 1998, I switched gears, left the fashion industry behind in New York and moved to Venice Beach and then finding my way to a horse ranch in Ventura County where I lived and worked as a ranch hand for seven years. The next move was to Los Angeles and the position of Property Manager for a century old historic apartment building for twelve years. In 2021, my husband Orlando and I moved to the Kern River Valley for a quieter lifestyle where we currently and happily reside, each with our own artist’s studio.
Exhibitions:
- The Kids Are Alright, Los Angeles, solo exhibit, 2005
- The Kids Are Alright, Los Angeles, group exhibit, 2006
- The Kids Are Alright, Long Beach, solo exhibit, 2008
- Kern River Valley Art Association, Wofford Heights, “Day of the Dead,” juried exhibition, 2022, Second Place finish
- Kern River Valley Art Association, Wofford Heights, “The Great Western Art Show,” juried exhibition, 2022, Best in Show
Gallery
