BIOGRAPHY

Cathy DeForest is a book artist inspired by found objects and nature. She works in a broad range of media integrating etchings, letterpress printing and photography into artist books. She enjoys using the age old presses and techniques of printmaking, like the artists who began this work in the fifteenth century. Her artist books integrate each of her forms of art including her original poetry. Cathy’s work is part of several collections including:

The Honourable Thabo Mbeki, 
Past President of the Republic of South Africa
The Florean Museum of Romania
The California Palace Legion of Honor
The Oakland Museum
Brown University
Reed College
Swarthmore College
UCLA
Univ of California Santa Barbara
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of New Mexico
University of Pittsburgh
University of Washington
Yale University
The Book Club of California
The New York Public Library
The San Francisco Public Library

Cathy has a Ph.D. in Organization Development. She worked in this field for 14 years with large corporations and several universities. Her art work is exhibited and sold internationally. Cathy has been teaching and mentoring students since 1969. After 26 years in the San Francisco Bay area and founding a gallery in the Bay area, Cathy moved to Ashland, Oregon to found Gallery DeForest. The intention of her work is to evoke meaning through color and form, connecting the viewer with a sense of truth and beauty.

ARTIST STATEMENT

“The expression of beauty in image and word is my primary source of inspiration. Over the past nineteen years, I have created a body of work that follows the themes of beauty, intimacy, and illumination.

Beauty I love beauty. I am moved by the ordinary and the extraordinary in nature and in human kind. Sometimes I will weave the beauty of a dancer and an ancient poem into a book in order to evoke the qualities present in each thing. Often I find an object in a foreign country that seems to have a story that yearns to be told. Whenever I can, I create art that evokes a response and brings its beauty forward.

Intimacy I love to celebrate the essence of life. Whether I am focusing on the detail of an indigenous woman's hands or the curve of a river, I intuitively choose words and forms to reflect their core. My intention with my artist books is to express the essence of my subject and draw the viewer into an intimate relationship with the art.

Illumination I am fascinated with illumination in the natural, poetic and artistic world. I letterpress print poetry that moves the spirit and I create artist books that shed light on subjects sometimes missed in today's modern world: the essence of boys, the handwork of women, the inner play of hope and despair.

The intention of each of my art pieces whether they be in the form of artist books, etchings, or photography is to create beauty and reflect essence.”










 
 




             

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