Based in Atlanta, Gretchen Wagner is an Artist and Designer whose work is informed by the use of color and its interactions across built spaces, interactive sculpture and printmaking. Her current exhibition, “Color Interaction VI,” is the latest iteration in an ongoing investigation of how color responds when asked to occupy three-dimensional space.
“Each work is printed with a cyan, magenta, or yellow gradient. Rather than mixing to produce a stable hue, the inks remain transparent,” says Gretchen. “As they overlap with the colored paper stock beneath, they generate the illusion of additional colors and values that are not materially present. What appears to be a new color is an optical event, produced through accumulation and perception.”
Anchored by a glass bead, each fold becomes both structural and optical. The surface alternates between peaks and valleys, absorbing and reflecting light. Each pleat functions as a small lightwell, where color compresses, shifts, and briefly destabilizes. “Color Interaction VI” continues Gretchen’s exploration of color as an evolving phenomenon rather than a static material, asking how our perception of color changes when it is given depth.
Gretchen earned an MFA in Painting and a BFA in Fibers from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she currently serves as Associate Chair of Fine Arts.
"Color Interaction VI (M5)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (M11)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y6)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y8)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y1)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (C7)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (C1)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y4)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (M10)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y7)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (C5)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (M12)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y10)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y2)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (M4)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y2)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (M2)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y9)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y5)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (C11)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (C3)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (M9)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (C4)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y3)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (C9)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (C10)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Y11)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (C10)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (C12)," pleated paper, nylon, 238 glass beads, 14 by 11 inches framed
"Color Interaction VI (Yellow)," pleated paper, nylon & glass beads, 37.75 by 28.75 inches framed
Atlanta-based artist and designer, Gretchen Wagner, is influenced by the use of color and their interactions as applied in built space, interactive sculpture and printmaking.
Over the course of her career, she has worked closely with designers and architects in the commercial interiors industry to address material, color and trend research. She received a BFA in Fibers and an MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design where she is currently a Professor of Foundation Studies, using color as both medium and content in an effort to re-integrate fine art and applied design.
AVAILABLE WORKS