Susan Massey

Originally from Southern California, Susan Massey moved to Tacoma in the summer of 1996. Growing up in Los Angeles among the congestion and hordes of people forces you to push for a little space. She always spent time at the beach. There's something about the sand, sea and sky, with very little to interrupt their mass, that is visually arresting. Their forms and colors are simple, the expanse enormous. Their simplicity combined to influence Massey’s work.
Massey’s earlier work had a photographic precision. Photos capture a moment in time, but we have little sense of what came before or after that shot was taken. While researching other artists, her work began to change. Massey found herself most drawn to work that gave a history. Work that was imperfect - kept the errant lines, the adjusted angle, the corrections. These drawings helped her begin to understand how the artist decides, and she began to examine her decision process.
This past year, Massey’s work has become more about the mark with the subject taking a secondary role. She also introduced color in some pieces. For now the palette is very limited and the colors are based on nature.