Susan Andreae

Susan Andreae's primary interest is in the form and structure of a subject and how that can convey our inner thoughts and aspiration. Living in our world of modern, minimal, high rise, straight edged architecture, Andreae's work celebrates the quirky, irregular character of old buildings found in the historic centres of ancient hilltop towns in the Mediterranean. Weathered with time and use, built simply with local stone, their human scale create intimate spaces, passageways and staircases, a far cry from the multi storey buildings that are becoming the norm in our modern cities. Andreae's new collection of etchings, drypoint and monoprints are inspired by the staircases found in the hilltop towns in Southern Italy, with their irregular steps, twists and turns. They are like an unpredictable puzzle weaving through the maze of buildings, their shapes and pattern cut into the stone punctuating the simplicity of the rustic buildings. For Andreae, they are a symbol of an intriguing journey asking, "where are they leading to, or where have they come from?" Using traditional techniques in a contemporary way to incorporate layers of colour and form, Andreae works from drawings done in situ to build up her images. Titles, such as 'Way Up' and 'Way Through', and 'Hidden Way' refer to the architecture but also hint at the deeper themes of the human spirit that she hopes to convey in her work. Andreae completed an MA in Printmaking from Wimbledon School of Art (UAL) having previously completed a Fine Art Sculpture degree at Kingston University. She has exhibited since then in group and one man shows, including: The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Woolwich Contemporary Art Fair, Affordable Art Fair, Art without Walls Shoreditch, Works on Paper, Royal West of England Academy, Hiscox Gallery, Salthouse Gallery St Ives, Fairfax Gallery.