Artist Statement

I work with fiber, metal and paper utilizing the techniques of printmaking, stitching, hammering and bookbinding. I have discovered a back and forth repertoire between creating narrative images and creating objects. I believe that there is a meditation that happens in the rhythmic 'craft' work that helps the 'art' work to evolve. In my practice, craft and art are intertwined and of equal importance.

I work in an intuitive way when creating books. One image or word leads to another and when I feel it has come together completely, the book is done. I hope people find the narrative informative and entertaining but also that it inspires them to think about their own stories.

Biography

Motian McGuirl attended Swain School of Design and Kansas City Art Institute. She moved to Maine in 1982 and pursued a career as a functional hand weaver. A series of intense dreams about her ancestors (Armenian Genocide survivors) led her to seek a more narrative mode of expression which manifested as Printmaking and Art Books.

Recent exhibits include Word.Art at the Cynthia Winings Gallery Blue Hill ME and Small Impressions at the Museum of Printing in Haverhill, MA. Motian McGuirl teaches book arts and marbling at various locations and at her studio in Thomaston, Maine.

Website: https://cynthiamotianmcguirl.com

Instagram: @cynthiamotianmcguirl