Kim Vanderheiden

Many of my pieces draw from my surroundings or experiences as a mother of three, daughter of a cancer victim, wife of a biochemist banker, owner of a graphic arts business, and woman raised in Wisconsin, living in California in the 21st Century. I’m interested in the role an artist can play in reflecting one’s own unique time and place. Subjects and text in my work are often influenced by an abiding love for literature: the thrill of the story, the mystery of the old tale, the exquisite turn of phrase by a masterful writer, archetypal characters that loom like gods. I have often gravitated towards the strength of sturdy structures, such as bridges and freeways, because I’m impressed with what we can build, and curious about how the impulse to create manifests in ways other than through art. I enjoy preserving the unique voice that each medium brings into a piece. Different voices work together to form the composition, yet they remain individuals. The resulting texture and dissonance interests me. I think of our society’s larger creations: structures, corporations, governments, spaceships. A group creation is defined and textured by the differing, sometimes conflicting natures of the individuals who put it together, and this gives the creation itself a special character, and certain degree of imperfect humanity.