ARTIST STATEMENT:
Artist Meredith Dittmar takes a freeform, unencumbered approach to her work, exploring the immediate moment and whatever arises in it. Small experiments in polymer clay and paper, gather and merge spontaneously into larger images, animations, wall pieces, or installations. At the heart of her practice is an urge to express the nature of reality directly and clearly, while at the same time, there exists a wild playfulness that pushes at the edges of things, craves innovation, and plumbs the unknown. She uses art making as a way to explore, illuminate, and break down the boundaries of the conditioned self and grapple with the external demands of the identities we assume.
INFORMAL BIO:
Meredith got her start as an artist in the art toy scene in the early 2000s. Her characters “My Guys” were featured in many books and magazines and spread much joy to their collectors. A compulsive drive to innovate and create, helped her to push the medium of polymer clay to places it had never been before, landing her solo shows in Mexico City, Istanbul, LA and Portland. With an education primarily in engineering, computer science and sociology, professional careers in interactive and design, and over ten years as a full-time artist, she now harnesses all her selves, past and present, to bring complex projects of all kinds to life.