An interval can signify the transition between places, events, or time. It is in these spaces that Susan English thrives. Her works are specifically calibrated sequences of intervals, activated by those particular moments of passage between color and surface. These narrative relationships can either evoke a sense of vastness or of intimacy.

English begins with small watercolor studies inspired by the symbiosis of color and light. They are essentially landscapes reduced to their simplest forms, coastal horizons pared down to bands of land, ocean, and sky. Then, she proceeds to pour transparent layers of tinted polymer onto panels, tilting and shifting the surfaces as they spread and pool across the plane. These panels are assembled into a narrative sequence that resonates with English, and left to dry. Ultimately, this process is left up to fate. As those layers harden, English can barely predict how the colors may change, or where cracks, coagulations, or pools of paint appear. Sometimes, English will pour again, rearrange the panels, or cut them down until she’s satisfied. Her final surfaces capture a delicate relationship between control and accident.

An interval can also signify a pause, a moment to stop and take a breath between bouts of activity. With its tranquil palette and ability to draw you into a meditative space as you get lost in its layers, English’s work represents an opportunity to take this breath. She creates a catalyst for the immersive experience she makes room for when finding inspiration; a chance to solely get lost in observation.

Susan English has exhibited widely throughout the United States. She has been a Saltenstall Foundation Fellow, and a Teaching Artist at Dia:Beacon. She has an MFA from Hunter College, and studied at the New York Studio School. She lives and works in Cold Spring, NY.