February 2004: Margaret van Patten Intaglio

Margaret van Patten is a printmaker who combines various intaglio and drypoint techniques to create uniquely personal prints. Making prints is very much a process oriented art form for her, and she uses this to her advantage by working directly on the surface of the plate and letting each mark respond to the previous mark. Using a wealth of diverse symbolism and metaphors (such as birds, insects, clothing, body parts, letters and numbers) van Patten creates multiple layers of meaning. She actively works to create questions about the relationships between oftentimes disparate elements. van Patten has been a part of Inkling Studio, a Portland cooperative print studio for the last ten years.