Ray Maseman

In sleep, our unconscious minds create dreams by assembling the leftover, unassimilated bits and pieces of our daily experience and weaving them into a narrative. I imitate this process semi-consciously by gathering the visual ephemera I have happened upon–maps, animals, plants, stories, landscapes, implements and conveyances–and investigating what happens when they are forced together in a single image.
The results provide meditations on questions of purpose, home, and the burdens and responsibilities of adulthood. A cast of animal figures set forth on hopeful voyages of exploration and arrive at destinations of contemplation and solace. Some seek home, some have already found it, and all want to understand and experience their world. A sense of determination and persistence drives all these adventures, as the characters identify, pursue and embrace their purpose while resisting apathy and stagnation.

My methods are similar to collage, but the scientific processes of etching allow me to I create a synthesis of emotional and rational. The layering of color and texture across multiple etched copper plates printed on paper injects a purposeful randomness into the images, while the physical labor and materials involved grounds them in the concreteness of everyday life.

Email: ray@raymaseman.com

Website: raymaseman.com

IG: @raymaseman