Elizabeth Atterbury

Photo by Greta Rybus for JUDITH

 

Elizabeth is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Portland, Maine. Known for her vibrant geometric prints, textured reliefs and large wood and stone sculptures, she continually interrogates themes of legibility, opacity, improvisation and object-making while considering family histories and her Chinese-American heritage.

 

Where do you call home?

Portland, Maine.

 

How would you describe your creative practice?

Materially diverse, exploratory.

 

How do you typically start your day? 

I walk my son to school, come to the studio, make a cup of coffee and either dive into what I left the day before, read and plan next moves, or call a friend.

 

What are some of the recurring themes and explorations in your work?

Language, objects, family history.

 

What studio item can you not live without?

That’s hard. I use a tape measure and utility knife almost every day. And I use the bandsaw with all of my work — both 2D and 3D.

 

What is your earliest memory of making something?

Copying a drawing from the children’s book “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney, in Kindergarten. 

 

Who are your biggest influences?

My peers — I feel lucky to have a community of artists, near and far, who I am in close, consistent conversation with.

 

What do you do when you encounter a creative block?

Work through it. There are a few types of pieces that I make that are repetitive in process and form. I often return to these when I am stuck, because I can work with my hands in an automated way, which gives my mind time to roam and think.

 

What are some small pleasures you have been folding into your life?

Anything outside. I’ve been running with regularity this year. Taking breaks in the middle of the day to move my body. Now that it’s summer: picnics, swimming, boating, flowers.

 

How do you know when a piece of work is complete? 

Much of my work is methodical in process, with clear steps from start to end. It’s not very subjective. Once I complete the last step (i.e. finish sanding), the piece is done. The question of whether a piece is good and worth keeping is a different story, and often I lean on my husband and friends.

 

Tell us about the design(s) you've created for Designtex. 

The designs I’ve created for Designtex stem from the monotypes that I make that involve chine collé and embossment with hand-cut copper plates.