Joanne Freeman

(b 1954, United States. Lives and works in New York)

Pairing flat planes of colour with bold; geometric forms; Freeman's gouache compositions are studies in simplicity. Her pared-down visual language highlights the interplay of positive and negative space; between painted shapes and their paper-white inverse. The edge of each form; while sharply defined; remains irregular - the artist treading a fine line between precision and intuition. “My works on paper incorporate elements found in architecture; design; popular culture; and art history;” says Freeman. “The reductive compositions and pure flat colour mimic the low-tech graphics utilized in mid-century media; while also alluding to the colour field painters of the same period”¦The process acknowledges and celebrates the aesthetic qualities associated with early screen-printing techniques as well as cubism and collage.”