Linda Abbott Trapp
Linda Abbott Trapp, PhD is a juried artist who has recently returned to fine arts production following a long hiatus*, during which she served as faculty and dean at several colleges, founded a consulting firm, worked on several continents, and published seven books and over 250 articles. Her previous arts experience included pottery, sculpture, weaving, and serigraph production. Arts administration included grant management in Fresno, California, administration as a Dean at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and ownership of a pottery and weaving supply shop in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She taught pottery to students from preschool to elder hostel, and taught K-12 art at the Good Shepherd School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Her recent work includes wood sculpture, watercolor, and collage. She is interested in producing lyrical pieces that express psychological insights within natural settings.
*About that 35 year hiatus: While I was teaching art in Ethiopia, the Revolution brought lower-level army officers into power. One Sunday, they rounded up 80 of the intelligentsia and shot them. Many were parents of my students. I had nothing to offer save amateur art therapy to comfort and help heal. Upon returning to the states, I enrolled in a graduate counseling program, and went on for my doctorate, changing the nature of my vocation. Now that I’m retired, I find I can no longer stay away from the arts – there is material from decades yearning to be expressed!
Artist’s Statement:
Painting the boundary between psychology and art
Whether I’m working in wood, watercolor, or another medium, I’m exploring the boundary between art and psychology. Rather than represent the surface of things, I want to provide insight into what’s underneath, what motivates and matters. I’m happiest when, in addition to illuminating psychological truth, the work speaks to environmental concerns as well. In short, my art is meant to resonate with both inner truth, the psychological, and outer truth, being in the world in a responsible way.
Click on thumbnails to enlarge or click [Show as slideshow].
