Bio

Ruth Speer (B. 1996, Norwich, UK) is a German-American artist working across painting and sculpture. She lives and works in Oregon, U.S.A.  

Statement

I think of my work as a series of personal folktales, a combination of odd utility, scene selections and allegories of something true. I paint on wood for its surface, history, nearness to domesticity and sense of usefulness beyond the work, and often build and source wooden interactive aspects to operate in tandem with the painting, feeling the increasing importance of mirroring the physical and tactile nature of a life. The imagery of mythology and visual language of Western painting history, being the subjects I consumed most fervently during my homeschooled childhood, are used to talk about relationships; between people, with ourselves, with our surroundings, and the objects with which we live our lives. Other significant things involved are: the forest, the body, God, theatre, fantasy, art and objects made for children, “let’s go play outside,” and a personal accord with things that take time.