Ultimately, art can reclaim within us
a sense of awe - connecting us to something beyond and outside of ourselves and to something that dwells deep within, simultaneously.
Working in the visual arts, whether design or fine art, is essentially a journey of discovery - a search for order within chaos, balance between extremes and the evocation of feeling - all at once. It is an exploration of what lies beneath the surface. It 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 leads hopefully to 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.
For me, it doesn’t get better than that.
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 degree in Advertising Illustration offered exposure to both illustration and design. As digital media emerged, and was becoming capable of displaying visual environments, a combination of timing and a personal interest in unusual mediums landed Maureen in the computer gaming industry. Challenged with bringing a higher standard of design and beauty to the interactive platform, she explored ways to expand beyond the current computer graphic limitations.
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 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. Maureen has developed and created for her clients a visual voice that resonates and creates meaningful connections to their unique communities.
Her design, illustration and interactive media work has been featured in Print Magazine, Wired Magazine , Disney Magazine, The Society of Illustrators, New York and Typographic Form and Communication, Third edition design textbook for The School of the Arts Virginia Commonwealth University.,
Client projects have spanned the disciplines of:
brand identity
website design + development
illustration
print media, and
packaging
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.
