Artist Statement:
My recent works are inspired by the 10,000 Islands off the coast of Southwest Florida. I often seek refuge in these islands. The peaceful isolation they offer feeds my spirit. The photographic images are all solarplate prints, a form of photogravure using plates etched with sunlight and printed by hand using both intaglio and relief methods. The use of photography adds a nostalgic nature to the images, capturing a point in time as an uncertain future unfolds. In the channel markers I see reference points, offering a sense of direction and helping to navigate challenging times. Images of battered shorelines left behind in hurricane Irma’s path are rich subjects, the stripped tress revealing a skeletal dance of line while also serving as a reminder of the fragility of the ecosystem when faced with the overwhelming power of change.
Other pages on the sight reveal abstract images inspired by currents, tides, and erosion,captured in glass engravings and series of lithographs, woodcuts and collagraphs.
Andy Owen is a Professor of Art at Florida Gulf Coast University. He teaches multiple levels of drawing and non-toxic methods of printmaking at FGCU. Throughout his career his work has received numerous awards and has been regularly exhibited in regional, national and international exhibitions.
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