Anne Sutherlin

Anne Sutherlin
Lives and works in Denver, Colorado.

I am captivated by old, worn, cast-off elements, each with its own unique history. I combine these in an almost alchemical process to create new works that reflect a shared story. The tactile appeal of found papers, objects, and even my own monoprints fascinates me. These elements, having lived their own lives, seem to possess agency in my collages. Oddly, I rarely begin with a concept; instead, I act as a conduit for the voices of these materials. Shutting off controlling impulses allows the work to flow.
My neurodiverse brain plays a significant role in my artistic journey. It lets me perceive the world through a unique lens, forging connections and patterns others might miss. I was late-diagnosed with ADHD at 58. Looking back, I see how my visual brain has guided my creativity from a young age.
As a child, I crafted creations from found materials alongside traditional painting and paper crafts. I vividly remember building a model of Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki raft from daylily stalks and dental floss. At age13, during a summer program at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, I forgot to bring an object for a pottery project. My quick solution was a Dar...

EDUCATION
2016 University of Colorado at Denver, BA in Anthropology with a focus in Cognitive Archaeology and the Evolution of Aesthetics


Anne Sutherlin is a self-taught artist exploring the layers of human culture and emotion through collage. Her anthropology background, with a focus on the evolution of aesthetics, lends a unique perspective to her work. Anne's study of human experience and aesthetic evolution provides a deep dive into both historical and contemporary existence.
Her collages capture fleeting moments and profound emotions within our shared cultural experiences. Anne combines modern artifacts like found papers and objects—each with its own history—with her monoprints, cyanotypes, paint, and other media. This careful selection and arrangement convey specific moments or emotions frozen in time, creating collages that deeply resonate with viewers.
Throughout her career, Anne has worked in various media, including photography, acrylic paint, watercolor, monoprinting, cyanotype, collage, and assemblage. For the past eight years, she's focused on using discarded materials often seen as trash. Anne views these items as historical objects that, when combined with other ephemeral materials, form new narratives that uniquel...

Artful Holidays: Celebrating Local Creations, East Colfax Art Gallery, Aurora, CO
Synthetic Realms: Exploring Phantasmagoria, East Colfax Art Gallery, Aurora, CO

Winter Solstice Artist Showcase, Chapiteaux Arts, Denver, CO

Au Naturel: The Nude in the 21st Century, Clatsop Community College Art Center Gallery, Astoria, OR