Tinkering Painting

Valerie Wilcox is a mixed-media, sculpture and installation artist living in Los Angeles, CA. I take perceived flaws and imperfections and give them a compelling new life. I use common and salvaged materials to intuitively explore contradictions and uneasy associations between abstract shapes, mark-making and painting. These assembled hybrid objects become my canvas and manage to transcend their base materiality, as the source materials are elevated and imbued with a newness of form and aesthetic. Hope, second chances and authenticity are the values that I strive to incorporate into my artistic practice. I enjoy the challenge of discovering uncommon and salvaged materials that I can re-purpose and transform into unique sculptures. The elements I use include, but are by no means limited to: wood, plaster, papier-mâché, paint, textiles, carpet, metal hardware, cardboard and foam board. Many of the wood remnants I find show a particular architectural usage or a sense of its own history. These foraged materials connect me to my community and are a continual source of inspiration. Being authentic in my process means accepting the failures and trusting that these too can be reimagined into new opportunities. My work combines the geometries of Minimalism with the spontaneous spirit of the New Casualists. The intent for my work is to provide a sense of optimism in society's ability to reinvent itself. In the age of cancel culture, there are no second chances. So my work is a hopeful reminder that there’s beauty in the imperfections, and forgiveness for our perceived flaws. My work is distinguishable by its joyful and unorthodox approach to color and form. BIO Valerie Wilcox is originally from San Diego, CA, moved to Los Angeles and received her BFA in Graphic Design from Cal State University Long Beach. She continued her fine art studies at Otis College of Art & Design and Art Center College of Design and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. Wilcox has been included in many local and international exhibitions including the Kölner Liste Art Fair in Cologne, Germany; Galleries in Wuppertal and Berlin, Germany; Brisbane, Australia; Mexico City; Stockholm, Sweden; Norway and the Netherlands.