Whitney Nye

Portland artist Whitney Nye explores composition through patterns of repetition. For this exhibition, A Part, she considers the idea of conversion, “My work is born from a desire to make order out of disorder.  Stagnation exists and change becomes necessary. Blades cut through paper, which in turn rearranges physical energy.” Nye’s intuitive process utilizes obsession as a catalyst for a kind of psychological cleansing. As if metaphorically cleaning one’s home, her methodical, almost ritualistic approach releases the past. She paints, layers, and paints, incorporating cut paper and collage, treating the surfaces temporally. Here she builds rich compositions—abstract interpretations that reveal glimpses into the artist’s transitional state of mind.