“And now here is my secret,
a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
It is in trying to make “what is essential” somehow visible that motivates the making of art. Whether via design or fine art, this process is essentially a journey of discovery - a search for order within chaos, balance between extremes and the elicitation of feeling - all at once. It is an exploration of what we can’t always see, but can feel or want to feel.
This requires a letting go of preconceptions in order to understand beyond what is known - allowing the unexpected to emerge. Letting the work itself lead and inform is a practice and a challenge. This ‘conversation‘ with the work results, hopefully, in a connection not only to something unknown within myself but to those who engage with it. Both the process and its result evolve, holding the potential to make visible something sacred within the mundane. Ultimately, it can reclaim within us a sense of awe - connecting us to something beyond ourselves and to what dwells deep within, simultaneously.
For me, it doesn’t get better than this.
about
Working in graphic design and interactive media disciplines for over 3 decades, Maureen Kringen has applied a love of painting and fine art to a design approach that is textural and illustrative, with a modern sensibility.
A combination of timing and a personal interest in unusual mediums landed Maureen in the interactive gaming industry at a time when digital media was becoming capable of displaying rich visual environments. Her degree in Advertising Illustration which spanned the disciplines of both illustration and design, enabled her to explore ways to expand this medium beyond the current computer graphic limitations and bring a higher standard of design and beauty to the interactive platform.
As Art Director at SEGA’s Southern California division, she trained and led a growing team of artists in the development of gaming environments and characters. Her team worked to push the boundaries of art and animation within a digital medium in it’s infancy.
As Group Director, Maureen had the opportunity to research and develop projects exploring the application of artificial intelligence and neural networks to broaden both the conceptual content of the interactive experience as well as the aesthetic look and feel. With the advent of the public internet, her experience with digital media led seamlessly into website development coupled with a return to graphic design for print and brand identity development. Working in collaboration with her clients, Maureen has developed a visual voice that resonates and represents them and creates meaningful connections to their unique communities.
Maureen currently devotes her time to painting. Rediscovering texture, form and color in traditional mediums, she is inspired by the design found in nature and intrigued by the mystery, complexity and strength of the human spirit.
featured in
Design, illustration and interactive media work has appeared in:
Print Magazine, Wired Magazine, Disney Magazine, The Society of Illustrators, New York and appears inTypographic Form and Communication, Third edition design textbook for The School of the Arts Virginia Commonwealth University.
Client projects and services have included:
brand identity | website design + development | illustration
print media | packaging