In Conversation: Seiko Purdue and Douglas Loewen

Exhibition

As part of the the 2019 Faculty Biennial at the Western Gallery, a series of noon artist talks will be held. The artists will discuss their process, history, and exhibited works.

Pay-by-the-hour parking is available in Lots 6V, C/CR, and 12A. Please consider using alternative transportation and carpooling. More information and transportation and parking.

Seiko Purdue and Douglas Loewen

Seiko Purdue

“I have been working on installation art using fiber materials (handmade paper, polyester, etc.) or ideas of fiber, seeking to connect East and West.  I explore both traditional and contemporary textile techniques, as well as casting and video/sound, and also involve the public in my art-making. Berry Grove and Hyoga (Iceberg) are site-specific installations that deal with current issues like labor and global warming.”

After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Kyoto Seika University, Seiko Purdue came to the United States where she received MA at Montclair State University and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Douglas Loewen

“My ongoing challenge is to bring a new experience to the viewer using artworks that move. I work quickly and inexpensively with existing structures, whether cultural, political, or architectural, making kinetic installations that combine humor with reflections about current events and issues.  My recent work uses drawing and mark-making through diverse processes and materials. The cyclical progression of the work, produced by repetitive actions, leads to the accumulation of marks on paper, plaster, the wall, or on other surfaces. The accumulated marks build compositions with diverse characteristics from quiet beauty to agitation.”

Douglas Loewen received MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and BA from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota.