Buried Treasures: Abstract Collage for the
​Here and Now
Debra Booker

Artist Statement: Throughout my life I have been drawn to the tactile experience of making and creating art.  I love using discarded and forgotten items, books, paper etc. to make a statement. Growing up in a creative family I was always encouraged to express myself in multiple mediums. I love collages and mixed media, painting, photography, assemblage, mosaics etc. I have always loved the hunt for discarded and forgotten items, books, maps, etc. I think if we look closely, we can find beauty everywhere. As we move deeper into our digital age, it is harder to find these old things, which hold so much of our common history and possess so much of our shared life  experience. When making my art,  I try to let the materials “speak” and see how we can collaborate and truly just enjoy the process of exploration and appreciation. 
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Artist Bio: Debra Booker is a Lexington, KY collage and mixed media artist who has been showing her work since 1986. Originally from New York, she grew up loving antiques, flea markets and auctions and loves collecting and scavenging for discarded treasures. In her 14 years in Boulder, CO she was a professional Faux Finish painter, doing both residential and commercial work that was featured in national magazines. She also made and sold vintage painted furniture and mosaics in Colorado and Santa Fe. Throughout her life, she has concentrated on photography, mixed media paintings and collage. Making art has been an integral part of her self expression, and she loves the tactile practice of making and creating. She has always been drawn to, and inspired by vintage items, found paper and objects that have a history and invoke a deeper soul connection.