Synkroniciti is delighted to welcome visual artist Joan Burger Siem. Her marvelous “Shrine” graces the cover of the “Empowered “issue and we feature five other pieces and a feature article, Shared Spaces, on her process and experience as well. Her pieces invoke theater, being very much like miniature sets with forced perspective and painted lighting effects. They are luminous doorways and windows into a subconscious, surrealist world, a world which also looks back at us. “Shrine” hints at struggles for control over feminine autonomy, dominated by a relentless female gaze. You can read more about that here. “Curiosity” and “Reflecting” show us feminine faces and exotic birds, perhaps symbolic of that spirit or soul which rests within the human being. Which are we, the one who observes or the one who is, or maybe both? Two versions of “As mother Nature Watches,” one mixed media and one painted, reveal a single eye gazing out at us. We are ourselves nature. What will we do with our home and ourselves? “Ray of Hope” suggests that we have a choice, that there is a small portion of light that can illuminate our darkness.
Experience Joan’s illuminating artwork in the “Empowered” issue of our online magazine, available here. You can subscribe or order the issue, which debuted September 1, 2022.
Joan Burger Siem finished her MFA (Painting) in California and moved to Europe where her paintings are included in many official collections. Now living in Houston, she exhibits closer to home, including exhibitions at The ARC Gallery, Chicago, Brownsville Art Museum, TX, and Vignette Art Fair Dallas.
What unifies the painting process for her is the mood, the psychological space the work is intended to occupy. This gives direction to the visual problem solving, which could take unexpected paths. She works with great affection for the solutions that come about through judgement, as well as accepting those arriving as gifts. It’s a balance between intent and leaving space for a little magic. This way the work can go beyond the original intent, and start to “give back. ” “That’s when I know I’m not flying solo.”
Please take a look at Joan’s website.