OM.2024.118 - Kerrie More - USA

OM.2024.118 - Kerrie More - USA - Brighten Up - collage on panel - 8 x 8 inches - Visual Poetry and Color

Artist Statement:

My world has been shaped by the power of words for as long as I can remember. As a librarian, freelance writer and born storyteller, this love of narrative fuels my passion for creating Found Poetry– a technique requiring me to be a “word wrestler,” shaping and rearranging each one until they tell the perfect story. Combining collage and poetry allows me to indulge my love of paper, a fondness inherited from my grandmother, who found value in every humble scrap. It’s this nostalgia that inspires my affection for mid-century typography and color palettes, where the patina of the paper enhances the mood of the piece. As an avid reader and constant observer, my work often emerges from snippets of a written passage or overheard statement. I’m fascinated by the way we communicate with others, as well as ourselves, and themes of solace and escape frequently weave their way into my creative practice. I strive to conjure a shared-sentiment or comforting memory, often asking others to question how they spend their time. As for me, my time is often spent scouring used book stores, trying to organize my artist studio, or scribbling messy (sometimes indecipherable) ideas into one of my many notebooks.

Biography:

Kerrie More is a retired school librarian struggling with too many creative interests, as well as a stack of books she will never finish. Freelance writing satisfies her compulsions for both researching and storytelling, and she has been a core-contributor to Uppercase Magazine since 2016, writing about a wide array of creative and curious topics. She is an emerging poet and collage artist having been selected for Kolaj Institute's Collage & Poetry Residency in 2022. Since then, she has discovered the vibrant, online collage community, noting that she has never seen an online challenge she didn’t want to try!

Instagram: @kerrie.more

Website:  kerriemore.com