Artwork copyright Constance Speth. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Constance Speth. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Curtained Light, 1985

Constance Speth
(American, born 1934, died 2019)

Location: Peninsula College, Port Angeles

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Artist Constance Speth created the print Curtained Light as part of her ongoing exploration of light. She notes, "Both literature and daily conversation attest to the power that light has in our lives. Light is used as a metaphor for sacred and secular knowledge, for deities, creation and for life itself. While light reveals the forms of the material world it can also seem to dissolve them through backlighting, shadow patterns and reflections, into an abstract visualization of energy. My subject is the transcendental possibilities of visual experience." She created the print using a lithographic process. She first drew the image onto a printing plate using a grease pencil. She then wetted the plate and applied ink, which adhered only to the greasy areas. She then printed the image onto paper. She used different plates for each color of ink.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Peninsula College.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ellensburg-based artist and teacher Constance Speth (1934-2019) created drawings, paintings, and prints that explore light, shadow, and form.
Speth grew up in Seattle. She earned bachelor's (1955) and master's (1964) degrees in education from Central Washington University, with a thesis in painting. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in drawing from the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1984. She taught drawing and a variety of other studio and non-studio courses at Central Washington University from 1964-1995 and retired as Emeritus Professor of Art.