Both artist and scientist by education and sensibility, I make art that combines abstracted biological forms with the dynamics of color interaction. At my day job I used a microscope to examine cell samples from patients for signs of cancer. I found the abnormal cells visually fascinating, having variable shapes both subtle and extreme. By taking these microscopic forms out of the lab and presenting them anew --in paint on canvas -- I gave them a different life, one of playfulness and intrigue instead of sickness and dread.

 

The paintings in this exhibition build on previous work exploring pattern by varying and repeating forms in ways I find visually exciting. On a formal level I’ve increased the value range of my colors, effecting deeper space and more active movement across the picture plane. Because of my love for so-called women’s work—quilting, sewing, stitchery, etc.—I’ve consulted these crafts for compositional and mark-making ideas. The simplified biological forms continue to engage me in ways I find mysterious, possibly suggesting a nascent personal language.                                                                                                        

 

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Ater received her BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) and has BS and MS degrees in Biology and Health Sciences respectively. She has exhibited widely in the Portland area, and her work is part of local, national, and international private and corporate collections.