From Forest Women to SUPERIMPOSED: Suzanne Bartlett’s Collage Debut at Pyramid Atlantic

Picture from Opening Reception . Photo credit: S. Bartlett

For several months, I’ve been absorbed in honing my hybrid technique of printmaking in combination with photographic materials and digital elements. The basis of my Forest Women series works layers of photographs of iconic contemporary dresses over photographs of trees, amending these images by hand and with some rudimentary digital assistance. Pieces from this series, that focuses on mythic women and modern women’s experience, were first exhibited at the Washington Printmakers Gallery in group and individual shows – and then by invitation at the Art Vault in Lancaster, PA, and Franklin Art Gallery in Frazer, PA.

Recently, I turned my attention to collage pieces to extend perception to a third dimension and provide the viewer with palpable layers. I was wrist-deep in this new work when I got notification that my submission of an early piece of the collage re-visions, Daphne‘s Rescue, was accepted into Pyramid Atlantic Art Center‘s newest, international juried exhibition, SUPERIMPOSED.

Over the millennia, Daphne’s story has been told in several versions—each with different details, percentages, and outcomes. I chose this one: Daphne, the nymph daughter of demi-goddess Gaia, is pursued by the god Apollo. She calls out to her literal Earth Mother for help. Gaia comes to her rescue, spiriting her away to an island, and leaving in her place, a Laurel tree for Apollo‘s attentions.

I’ve used Forest Women’s dresses and tree images as I did the flat layers of the first series; the branches and trunk infer Daphne‘s arms and face, leaving an empty transparent dress draped on the tree. I fashioned individual leaves of translucent tissue paper as camouflage for her escape, melding into the forest.

Sometimes women need rescue by Mother Earth; that rescue may be the protection of the forest – and the trees.

I will be experimenting with materials that tempt the hand to touch what the eye sees in further versions of this series. For more information, check my website, suzanneabartlettartist.com, as I add new work.

Picture: Susan Bartlett

SUPERIMPOSED continues at Pyramid Atlantic’s Hyattsville gallery through August 9, 2026.