Maura Freeman

Lives and works in Seattle, WA, USA

Artist statement

I am a self-taught Seattle-based photographer, videographer, and sculptor. I have been scrutinizing the world through the lens of a camera for as long as I can remember. Years ago, I began collecting found objects—natural and wo/man-made. Great care is given to the preparing, coloring and preserving what I find. These objects are transformed by imagination into unique sculptures and photographed. There are many roots to my art. One focus arises from honoring Mother Nature and the sacred spaces and mysteries she provides all of us. Another comes from the word “solastalgia” which is a combination of Latin and Greek meaning comfort and pain: “the pain experienced when there is recognition that the place where one resides and that one loves is under immediate assault…a form of homesickness one gets when one is still at home.” The assault on nature is another driver of my art. Other inspirations come from situations, upheavals, and traumas in life that have called me to step into nature, as I believe Mother Nature provides us with the potential to reshape, heal and slow down. My goal is that the viewer will use their "deep imagination", no matter where they are standing in the moment, to be in nature. To see or hear a bird in a way one never has. To imagine the nobility in the next tree branch or fallen leaf. It is from the place of deep imagination I find creativity, joy, and mischievousness. I hope you hear my voice, see the deeply etched mythology that arises from my black...

Artwork