About the Artist:
A lifelong artist and long time desert resident, Debra Ann Mumm is experienced in a wide variety of materials and techniques. Working primarily with
acrylic paint on "obtainium" found near her studio in Landers, Debra creates personal pieces that resonate with a universal theme. Influenced by the
surroundings of the living ghost town in the Mojave, many items are obtained from abandoned homestead cabins that dot the expansive landscape. Weathered,
textured wood and rust are favorite subjects of Debra's current series of assemblage pieces and environmentally friendly indoor-outdoor paintings.
There is a certain rush of excitement in finding a new item. After recovery they are brought to the studio for a bath and a sealer, typically with a hint
of metallic or reflective tint added, the first step in the process of transformation. The alchemist has more tasks than just changing lead to gold, such
as finding the stone of knowledge and discovering the source of eternal youth, which comes into play compositionally. Themes relate to man and the universe
with an expressive curiosity keeping with traditions of the magus and the work of the artist to create magic.
All work is created using archival sealers, adhesives and paint products and finished with water based solvent free varnishes on re-purposed items.
Statement of the Artist:
The vision of the alchemist is one of transformation, as is the artistry of assemblage. These phoenixes rise from the harsh sand of the Mojave to be
resurrected in a new light, with a new spirit. The decay of the not so long lost 1950's generation of homesteaders provides beautiful subjects of weathered
textured wood and rust. Inspiring objects are products of the harsh surroundings, trapped between the Twentynine Palms military base and the peace of
Joshua Tree National Park, inviting a dialogue of contrasts - organic versus industrial, birth, death and rebirth, the here and now, and the beyond, with a
logical inventive imagination.
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