Marie Ringwald

An enduring interest in vernacular architecture has inspired my body of work. I like that these simple structures (farm buildings, warehouses, storefronts, Quonset Huts) are made with everyday materials that get patinated by time and weather, and are sometimes patched and pieced, like quilts. I appreciate their elegant design elements as well as the emotional associations they have. My sculptures are constructed with the same materials found in these structures: wood, paint, metals, roofing materials, various fasteners, etc. Sometimes I incorporate found materials. I work the surfaces with paint, stains and patinas.

Works on paper take on the forms of vernacular architecture, especially sheds. I use graphite, acrylic paints and mediums.

Over the years the work has varied in size from walk-in installations incorporating lighting (neon and incandescent) with the construction materials, to tiny mixed media wall and freestanding constructions. The constructions and works on paper range from abstracted recognizable imagery to more non-objective, playful variations on a theme.