Mezcal on Matecumbe Collage

"Drawing on the language of geometric abstraction, Perreault weaves fragments of her life experiences into a story through painting, cutting and layering textured paper. Her layering technique creates a visual language that elevates flat geometric components into a sculptural dimension that breaks free from the page and draws the viewer into the piece." Valerie Perreault is an American author and visual artist. She is the winner of the 2024 Snyder Prize in Poetry, and her book, Neon Pastoral, will be published in 2025. Valerie grew up in Chicago, graduated from the Art Institute, and lives now in Key Largo, Florida. Valerie is interested in using the creation process to explore and reflect on the visual poetry of her life and landscape. The process reveals the meaning. It is her hope that her work «feels» like a poem—that it both informs and delights the viewer while creating a sense of rediscovering a memory. Her work lives in private collections across the globe and has been featured in GOOP, Hia Magazine, Buzzfeed and PBS Art Loft, among others. She also has permanent installations in several high-end resorts and public spaces including Tommie Austin, Intercontinental Miami, Casa Marina Resort Key West, Hotel St. Elm, Hawks Cay Resort, the Port of San Diego, Parkline Miami and Kea Lani, Maui. From the Artist... What Inspires Me: I am inspired by the ordinary moments in time. I feel that if you look at something long enough its beauty and essence will reveal itself. That revelation is the entry point for all of my works. My Creative Process: I like to work in batches, often completing collections in groups of 12. I will spend a few months collecting moments by writing about them in my journal. Once I feel ready I will associate colors and shapes with each moment , painting them out on large sheets of canvas paper. Those sheets are then cut up in to little squares that I call "tiles". Then the fun part, I tinker around with the tiles for days rearranging them like a puzzle until the piece feels complete. Artists That Have Influenced My Work: Hilma af Klint, David Hockney, Lucie Brock-Broido, Carmen Herrera, Geta Brătescu, Cecil Touchon, Jean Valentine Where I Go For Inspiration: I go to my journal for inspiration. I keep a written record of small but meaningful moments and/or objects that I come across throughout each day. When it comes time to create, I open my journal and see which memories feel ready to be made.