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Edie Overturf currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and teaches printmaking, drawing, digital arts and visual storytelling at Mount Hood Community College. Overturf is a recipient of numerous awards and grants, including a Jerome Emerging Artist Fellowship, two Minnesota State Arts Board grants, the Larry Sommers Fellowship from Seattle Print Arts, and the Waddell Printmaker of the Year 2023 award from Whitney Center for the Arts. She has attended several residencies, including those at Kala Art Institute, InCahoots Residency, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and a Professional Development residency at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Connecticut.
Artist Statement
The image and text relationships in my work depict contemporary anxieties that likely resonate with viewers. I give voice to frustrations centered around uncertainty, inequity and deeply rooted political and social problems that appear too vast to be changed by the actions of individuals. Among the shared experiences I depict, I find myself compelled to grapple with imposter syndrome, burnout, and trying to survive the hellscape of late stage capitalism. The relationship of text and image, or bodies of text within a space, are critically important in my work. The forms and surfaces wherein text is placed greatly informs its meaning. Likewise, the arrangement of elements can create a collection of intrusive thoughts or desperately frustrated voices crying out in chorus. Brevity and efficiency is important to me, as I am often attracted to antiquated signage that typically displays fewer characters than a tweet. This abbreviation of opinions or observations can mirror the abrupt and meme-like way we currently communicate.
I find gratification in the tension of joyful aesthetics paired with implied seriousness. It’s a method that I enjoy as a viewer, and a playfulness that I strive for in my work. This approach, paired with a satirical application of symbolism, are attempts to connect with viewers who might be reluctant to see my perspective. Recently I have been placing equal value on emotional connections with the viewer that I formerly applied solely to intellectual ones. I came to this conclusion when I allowed myself to be vulnerable in the work, albeit robed in the protection of poetry or sarcasm. Both the veil of humor, and confidence that my experiences and feelings are not isolated, gave me the courage to communicate more directly.
I will always be enamored with the form of the multiple; for its equitability, egalitarianism, and historical association with leftist political ideologies. I hope both the revolutionary and deeply personal quality of my work reflects the historical tradition of printmaking in political commentary.
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