Debra Ramsay
Artist Statement:
In extending my pursuit of using color to illustrate the passing of time this ongoing series documents the specific plumage colors of migrating birds who fly through Central Park, New York City, during any given year. My paintings pay homage to each particular bird species. In gaining awareness of the granular detail of my avian subjects’ lives, such as their epic migratory journeys and the adversities in feeding and nesting they face during their life cycle, the paintings are opportunities to provoke thought about the species.
The colors on translucent panels mimic birdwatching; colors appear and disappear based on the viewer’s movement.
With awareness of the precarious situation of our environment, this series is an homage to the beauty, diversity, and wonder of a subset of its inhabitants, birds, migrating through my area.
Artist Biography:
Debra Ramsay works in the disciplines of abstract painting and installation. Her studio is in New York City.
Ramsay has exhibited her work internationally for over three decades, including in Denmark, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Solo exhibitions in the United States include the Hunterdon Museum of Art in Clinton, NJ, 2024, Starr Suites, Brooklyn, NY, Brattleboro Museum in Brattleboro, VT, 2017; Odetta Gallery, Brooklyn, and 57 W 57th Arts, NY, 2016.
Ramsay attended residencies: at the Golden Foundation in New York, the Albers Foundation, and at BAU Institute in Italy. Her work is in the Hofstra University Museum of Art and Brooklyn College collections.
The Center for Humans and Nature Press published Ramsay’s The Nature of Time, One Year of Bird Migrations in 2024. She was interviewed by BirdNote.org in 2024, airing on NPR. In 2017, her work was included in Chromotopia: An Illustrated History of Colour.
AAA:
Member Since: 2023
Assistant Secretary: 2023 to present
