Statement and Bio

ARTIST STATEMENT

My work is the result of my perpetual pursuit of knowledge and understanding. As a child, I realized quickly that the accumulation of information far exceeded the quantity that a dedicated classroom teacher had patience or time enough to teach me. I initially approach my work as a scientist who approaches their research. I first gather information from primary sources. As the search images develop, I follow a considerably less linear path and am attracted by the unexpected and overlooked. The disregarded records, figures, or facts merge and become the atypical moments facilitating my knowledge of materials, technology, and objects. These moments nourish intuition and lead to invention. The combination of research, information, and play is the subject of my work. My recent research threads included the intertwined relationship of textiles to the body and botanical taxonomy, investigating our human need to name and categorize.

BIO

Denise Bookwalter works in various print media, including traditional and digital processes, artist’s books, installations, and dimensional prints. Her artists’ books utilize old and new print technologies to create collaborative artists’ books. Her work has been exhibited and collected in venues nationwide and abroad. She received her BA from Northwestern University and an MFA in Printmaking from Indiana University. Denise lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with her husband and twin girls. She is a Professor of Art at Florida State University, where she teaches printmaking and Directs the Studio Art BFA Program. She is the director and founder of Florida State University’s artists’ book press, Small Craft Advisory Press.