Artist Statement

I’m fascinated by movement as it’s frozen– reaching hands and gnarled branches, their momentum clear even when they’re drawn and pinned to a wall. I draw from shadow theater, art history, and personal video recordings to conjure large shaped installations. Some compositions imitate cinematic conventions— a drawn “jump cut” jars the viewer— while wider, juicier collages overflow the edges of their mylar, brimming with desire, ferocity, and deeply personal mythology. I’m particularly interested in tales of transformation, and conventions of beauty and monstrousness. What of the spaces in between that false and centuries-old binary, and why not both at once?  

 I examine closely how my own body matches or transgresses beauty ideals, and project snapshots of my own form, both vulnerable in its exposure and mighty in its scale and starkness. Deliberate mark making, flowing gestures, and the freedom to freehand are all vital to my final images. These pieces can be as huge as the space they occupy, or as delicate as the crescent of a bitten fingernail. From a distance, they strike; upon closer inspection, they sing. 

Artist Bio

Phoebe Rotter is a multidisciplinary artist living in Albany, NY. Her current visual work consists of translucent wall-hung drawings that investigate desire, personal mythology, and body politics. Phoebe also creates public art as a muralist in the Capitol Region, and performs with the Bread & Puppet theater. She received her MFA in painting and drawing from SUNY Albany, where she received the Distinguished Thesis Award. She holds an MA in Studio Art from SUNY Albany and a BA in Art History from Kenyon College. Selected shows include Lorraine at The Studio Troy, Before and After at Bread & Puppet’s Woodshed Gallery, Out of Office at Collar Works curated by Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy, and Here In Spirit at The Church in Hillsdale.