From using paper and paint to pieces of old wood or old junk, with just the right amount of creativity and imagination anything can be turned into an amazing work of art for many people to enjoy.
Art students gathered in one of the many art studios in the Center for the Arts on Wednesday, Nov. 30 for a guest lecture given by exhibiting LA artist Coleen Sterritt.
Sterritt has been in the art industry for about 40 years, and in that time she has created a funky, quirky, and human-like style for her artwork. Her artwork is very abstract and has a very distinct uniqueness that makes any observer attracted.
Her sculptures are made with precision, with various things like old furniture, old lumber, metal, or even old kitchen utensils, which she delicately stacks on top of each other. Sterritt takes ordinary object that one might think is junk, but in her eyes they are resources that will be in her next unique sculpture.
“[Sterritt’s] sculptures all seem very human-like,” said Life Drawing professor Mahara Sinclaire.
Her drawings use very vibrant colors that are attention-grabbing. Sterritt uses small intricate lines in her drawing along with big patterns of color. Sterritt’s sculptures and drawings have been included in various exhibitions throughout the United States and in Europe.
Sterritt spoke to students about how she started her art career; she left her hometown and came west to San Francisco, from then she came to Los Angeles for grad school and shortly after getting her MFA is when she began to show her own work. Now she teaches at the Otis College of Art and Design.
Some of Sterritt’s inspiration comes from her favorite sculptors and artists, including William Tucker, Richard Tuttle, Jacqueline Winsor, Marisa Mertz, and Tim Hawkinson.
Along with speaking to the students about her artistic journey and process, Sterritt also encouraged the students to ask any questions any time about any concerns they had.
One student asked if she sketches out her sculptures before she actually works on them.
“No because I don’t know how it’s going to turn out so I can’t plan ahead,” Sterritt replied.
Another student asked Sterritt about how she manages to keep the objects in her sculptures up straight while she is making them.
“I make them in my studio, so I after gluing pieces together I leave them alone for a while so they can stick properly then add more,” said Sterritt.
Art is something that can be interpreted in many ways in the eye of the beholder. You can use almost anything to make art, something Sterritt does well and is exceptionally great at. Like the saying goes, “someone’s junk is another’s treasure.”
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