Artist’s Statement
Fundamental to Libby’s process is to use traditional, conforming, “perfect”, commercial images, often from fashion magazines and catalogs, and transforming them into strange and magical narratives.
Using pages from old books, images from magazines, and paint, Libby has developed her own method of mixing mediums and reusing materials. Libby uses elements of collage combined with paint to play with tension and harmony, employing the underlying images as the structural base on which to create something new. She begins with layers of old book paper, used to create an interesting and absorbant surface. Then she integrates faces, textures, hands and other images from magazines and old books, along with layers upon layers of paint.
Thematically, Libby delves into figurative forms, the natural world, feminine power, and storytelling in her work. Libby enjoys ambiguity in narrative, portraying figures (usually feminine) confronting or embodying power and mysterious forces, as well as exploring movement, gesture, expression, and other forms of unspoken communication. She also experiments with depicting hybrid creatures, the natural world, animals, and plants. Aiming to invoke a dreamlike (and sometimes unsettling) impression of mystery and whimsy, Libby finds inspiration anywhere from medieval and iconic art to ideas found in contemporary design, illustration, folk art, and craft. Believing that a collaboration between creator and viewer is one of the most important parts of any art form, she encourages viewers to bring their own stories, interpretations, and unique perspectives to her work.
Education and Background
Libby graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in Studio Art and a minor in dance. After college, Libby moved to Colorado, where she danced professionally with the Hannah Kahn Dance Company for a number of years, and worked at the Tattered Cover Bookstore. During this time, she was also a member of several co-op art galleries in Denver where she regularly exhibited her found object, mixed-media artwork. Having spent a decade in Colorado as a dancer, artist, and bookseller, Libby then changed gears and headed to Boston to attend graduate school in Library Science.
After several years in Boston, Libby headed West again to settle down in Washington state with her family (Libby is married to author Matthew J. Sullivan) and began working as an academic librarian. At this time, Libby’s artwork evolved in a more narrative direction. She began developing an entirely new way of combining the elements of collage and painting together in small-scale works. Using her own unique method to create her images, Libby seeks to engage the viewer in a mysterious, whimsical world that is full of more questions than answers.