UP CLOSE: Kevin Pomerleau

Kevin is an artist/printmaker located in Northampton Massachusetts. He obtained his Bachelors in Fine Art from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and currently prints at Zea Mays Printmaking in Florence, MA working primarily with etching and etching align processes. His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally including exhibitions at the International Print Center of New York, The Editions/Artists Book Fair during New York Print week, and the 2019 Trois-Rivieres International Contemporary Print Biennale in Trois-Rivieres Canada.

Kevin Pomerleau

“The subject matter of my work ranges from everyday moments of monotony, intensity, happiness, and anger. Each piece documents these moments and acts as a form of catharsis and self-exploration. Revealing small amounts of information is a way to maintain ambiguity and regain control over once seemingly uncontrollable situations.

Having grown up in New England the visuals of carpets and textiles often fills memories of family, particularly that of my grandmother’s home. When I was in college, I was lucky enough to take a course on Islamic art and textiles and learned the likely route of these textiles from the middle east to New England homes through their appropriation by the Catholic Church. Often times to represent a symbol of status for a culture with completely contradictory values/viewpoints. Stemming from this knowledge, I incorporate textiles in each of my prints with my own motifs relating to each experience. Often times pushing boundaries established by the institutions responsible for introducing these motifs/textiles into my life.

Through the use of stylized black and white forms that are familiar and at times iconic, my intention is to create a dialogue between each space and the figures that inhabit them. The ambiguity of each work is intended so that the viewer can create their own personal connection. Each person has the potential to come to their own conclusions about what role they might take in each instance. My hope is for the work to evoke a contemplation of how one might ground these experiences within their own reality and what role they might take.”