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Polly Norman's work is richly varied, ranging from abstract photography and painting to a fusion of the two. And it continues to evolve. She makes lushly colored photo/painting hybrids and eye-fooliing glass-block prints, but she's also exploring more primitively rendered abstracted forms resulting from her play with photograms. Lately, Norman has also been trying her hand at pure abstract painting, working with just paint and a blank canvas. In fact, a collection of both her abstract painting and her photo/painting fusions are on display now in her NYC premiere solo show, Chiaroscuro Incarnations, at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery through September. She's got another solo show scheduled for a Chicago gallery in December. Keep your eyes out for what Polly Norman does next—she seems poised for big things.

About her work, the artist writes:"My life is about motion and emotion and so is my work. I am inspired by professional dancers who use the miracle of their strong, perfectly trained human bodies to create art by interpreting music. Like their movement and the music that moves them, I like to use repeated patterns and flowing lines. My experiences as a dance photographer and dance student greatly influence my work. Rough shapes of dancers and the invisible lines of their movement trails appear; my pieces have an edgeless look, like they could go on and on. I also use symbols and rudimentary shapes. I believe primitive forms stimulate the subconscious and that no boundaries allow imagining beyond. Because of this, viewers often have an emotional, primal response and personal interpretation when they see my work. It's fascinating to hear all of the different responses. Many times people show me objects and scenarios they find there I had not seen!"

CLICK HERE to read "Beginner's Eye, Tinkerer's Heart," a profile of artist Polly Norman by Susannah Schouweiler.

About the artist: Polly Norman was born in South Minneapolis, and her family moved to Edina when she was 12 years old. She is a graduate of Edina High School and Abbott-Northwestern School of Nursing. She worked in nursing (Neonatal Intensive Care) for four years at Children's Hospital. She married, had two sons and stayed home to raise them. Norman has also run a residential photography studio for over twenty years. Beyond individual commissions, her career has expanded into many areas including legal/evidence photography, photo illustration for newspaper and magazine articles and commercial/advertising photography. Her work has been exhibited in Minnesota, around the country and all over the world, and she's won a number of both regional and national photography competitions. A collection of her pieces is on view at Flanders Contemporary Art Gallery, and inquiries about individual works may be directed to the gallery or artist. Visit Polly Norman's website or her individual mnartists.org pages for further information.

access + ENGAGE, Mixed Media, Photography, Unclassified

• "Lifesavers", Polly Norman
• "Sprung", Polly Norman
• The Violinist, Polly Norman
• Triad, Polly Norman
• Arbor Flaunt, Polly Norman
• "Sacrifice", Polly Norman
• "Popped Poppies", Polly Norman
• The Angry Tree, Polly Norman
• "Mirrored Masks, Nose to Nose" DETAIL, Polly Norman
• "Blue Daisy, Stem Down", Polly Norman
• Eclipse, Polly Norman
• Rose Hip, Polly Norman
• Intersection, Polly Norman
• "Mirrored Masks, Nose to Nose", Polly Norman
• Parade In Pixel, Polly Norman
• "Daisy", Polly Norman
• The Back Door, Polly Norman
• "Red Screamers", Polly Norman
• En Pointe, Polly Norman
• Clones, Polly Norman
• Circus, Polly Norman
• Concentric Masquerade, Polly Norman
• Elements, Polly Norman
• Dancing Droogs I, Polly Norman
• Hidden Treasures, Polly Norman
• "Abstractions" New Photography & Paintings by Polly Norman, Polly Norman
• "Chiaroscuro Incarnations" Polly Norman Premiere NYC Show, Polly Norman
• VISUAL ART: Beginner's Eye, Tinkerer's Heart, Profile by Susannah Schouweiler
• Norman, Polly, Polly Norman
• Schouweiler, Susannah, Susannah Schouweiler