Artist Interview: Meredith Pardue

I believe that Art is terribly personal and if you fill your home with what you love to look at – then no matter your style, it will be a success – Especially if you love to look at abstract artwork by Meredith Pardue.

We were lucky enough to catch the attention of the artist here at TEOT and to my dismay, Meredith has agreed to answer a few of our pressing questions?

You’ve lived in several pockets of the Nation! How has this changed your perspective of Home!? How has it changed your painting?

Visually, I have always been very literal.  I have observed that my physical surroundings influence the forms in my paintings.  For example, when I first moved to New York City, the forms and compositions became more rectilinear, which I attribute to the grid structure of Manhattan and to the prevalence and physical appearance of the architecture.  In Portland, OR a diagonal direction appeared in my compositions, probably due to the time I spent looking at and being in the mountains there.  I now live in Louisiana where everything grows on top of everything else.  The forms in my work have become quite organic, and the color and light here–mostly shades of green, blue, brown, gray, and black– have influenced the color palette in my work.  And the same held true of the work I made in Savannah.

Is it correct to call your work Abstract Expressionism!? Do you feel particularly inspired by artists from this era? If so, whom?
It could be, in that my work is abstract, and the brushwork is expressive.  However, when I think of Abstract Expressionism, I think of the early mid-century greats–Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, Franz Kline, to name just a few–all of whom have been a tremendous influence on my work.  I think of the first generation of Abstract Expressionism as an art historical movement that had “rules.”  No reference to anything representational allowed, no illusion of three-dimensional space allowed, emphasis must be placed on the flatness of the canvas, etc.  While this produced an incredible new kind of painting and artist, and while some of these things may sometimes apply to my paintings, I simply cannot think inside of a box.  Besides, my approach to making a painting comes more from a place that is more intuitive than intellectual.

I am most inspired by the work of Cy Twombly.  I am completely mesmerized when I am before his work.  I am attracted to and fascinated by the rawness of his mark making, the boldness of his work, the fact that most of his work has no recognizable imagery yet the titles often come from Greek and Roman mythology.  There is something primal about Twombly’s work that simply stirs me to my core.

Collisons of Growth and Decay #1, 30″ x 22.5″, mixed media on paper

Are you just in love with color or what!?
Yes, sometimes.  And sometimes I am in love with only light and shadow/black and white.  I am fickle and tend to go back and forth between the two.

When you sit down with a blank piece in front of you, what is the process like!?
I may have an image in my mind before I begin a new piece or new series, but it is always lucid, like a dream image.  For me the process is about having a dialogue with the canvas, allowing the forms to emerge, controlling what happens in certain places, and allowing for moments of randomness to occur in others.  There is a delicate balance between the two, and sometimes it comes very easily, while other times there is a struggle.

When you complete a painting – Do you prefer to think of your artwork on the walls of galleries and museums, or do you imagine them hanging on the walls of homes like AB Chao’s home (as featured on Apartment Therapy).
Neither really.  I think of my paintings as little beings unto themselves.  They will make their way to somewhere, but I believe my part ends with their creation.  To me Wilco’s “What Light” explains it perfectly.

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A photo from AB Chao’s home, as featured on an AT House Tour.

Are you evolving away from oil painting toward mixed media works on paper?
No, I love working on paper, canvas, and linen.  I love drawing, painting, all of it.

Collisons of Growth and Decay #6, 30″ x 22.5″, mixed media on paper

What is inspiring you lately?
I found my old music collection.  Lately I’ve been listening to Stevie Wonder, Jamiroquai, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Jeff Buckley, Pixies, and the Neville Brothers.

What emerging artists do you feel we should we be on the look out for!?
Some emerging artists whose work I love and collect (or hope to!) are Julio Garcia, Thrush Holmes, Doug Kennedy, Marcus Kenney, Lance Letscher, Emily Sartor, and Joey Slaughter. I also love the work of photographer Jack Pierson, although he is hardly an emerging artist.

What interests do you have outside of painting?
Fiction, yoga, and playing with my little boys!

What is the home decor of a couple of married artists like!?
Well, there are living things everywhere!  In my house you will find my husband Doug, me, our two young sons Julian and Jackson, Libby and Priscilla (our two cocker spaniels), an old grouchy cat named Kiki, with a variety of Legos, blocks, trains, and cars scattered throughout.  There is usually music playing in at least one room and something yummy cooking in the kitchen.
So picture all of that against all white walls and a collection of mid-century pieces mixed with a handful of French antiques and a pretty great art collection.  The color comes from our art collection, so all of our furniture is either black, brown or white.  It was important to us to create a simple, elegant space with clean lines and great light, but also a comfortable space where we can relax, play, and not have to worry about messing anything up.

And the Water Was Blue at Night, 72″ x 84″, oil on linen

What’s the best way to shop for your artwork?
Through any of the galleries that represent my work–Ann Connelly Fine Art (Baton Rouge), Bryant Street Gallery (Palo Alto, CA), Chicago Art Source Gallery (Chicago), Judith Costello Gallery (Hilton Head, SC), or Lounge Arts (Jackson, MS).

Is there anything else that you would like to tell me!!!? :)
I still love to draw from life, although I don’t have as much time to do that anymore.