Wren Hartke

BFA: Graphic Design - Art History and Criticism Minor

Artist Name:

Wren Hartke

Work Title:

Portal to a Past Life

Medium:

Found objects, clay, acrylic paint

Artist Statement:

In my work, I have attempted to connect the human experience to natural subjects in the way of nostalgia. It is baffling to me that not every generation will have the childhood that I did- surrounded by the natural world, learning for myself the meaning of empathy and joy. In today's world, this almost seems like a far-off dream, inaccessible by the younger generation. In my piece, I have used natural subjects and nostalgic imagery to create that familiar feeling I so miss. There is a variety of mediums used in the piece to create a look of weathering and overtaking of nature. Many objects included have been collected over time, giving a new life to items that remind me fondly of my childhood.

Artist Bio:

Wren Hartke is a graphic designer and artist who creates subjects focusing on empathy and care, both in intention and creation. Many works revolve around nostalgia and natural subjects, specifically finding a way to incorporate these subjects into the graphic design practice. Wren uses a wide variety of mediums in their work, going beyond the digital that graphic design might suggest. They choose to focus on subjects that fulfill a feeling of joy, something that is essential in order to be passionate about the work created. Every work we make is a piece taken from ourselves, and should be treated as such.

Artist Portfolio: