Collaboration – Party of 3

Collaborative, mixed media works – 2006

What happens when you take three artists from different genres and have them work on the same canvas? “Collaboration.” In July 2006, Truckee artists Carole Sesko, Eve Werner, and Sara Zimmerman began meeting weekly to analyze each other’s artwork, share information, and inspire each other to push their art beyond their comfort levels. After establishing a strong rapport, the three began a collaborative series of artworks, and named themselves “Party of Three.” They have produced a series of canvases and sculptures that they each have worked on, then passed on to the next artist to add their contribution, creating a series of works called “Collaboration.”

Press release about the Party of 3

Although all three artists work in mixed media and acrylic paints, each has a distinct style that has earned regional respect. Sesko is known for her vibrant, textural work in which acrylic paints are layered with found and recycled objects. Werner’s best known works feature expressively painted horses in bold colors. Zimmerman’s work often depicts textured, gritty urban and Sierran landscapes landscapes. They have shown work individually at regional venues and in greater California. “We like the idea of coming from different places stylistically,” says Sesko. “We each bring a unique viewpoint which allows us to complement rather than compete with each other and enlivens our discussions.”

How “Collaboration” works

First, the Party of Three chooses a theme for 3 of the canvases, such as a country or a color. Then each member takes one canvas and picks something from the theme. One week later, the artists take a picture of their works in their stage and exchange their works. The next artist adds to that canvas while keeping the one and only rule in mind: stick to the theme of the painting. The result: a lot of thinking outside of the box. “I never thought I would be adding cardboard and texture to my paintings,” exclaims Werner, a painter of impressionistic tradition. “Yet this experience has me really searching outside of my comfort zone and into the recycling for new materials.”

Collaboration

The product of this experiment is a show of all of these works called “Collaboration.” “Since we were pushing outside of our own comfort zones, we weren’t sure if there was going to be a cohesiveness to each of the pieces,” remarks Sara Zimmerman. “Yet once we put them all together, we realized there was an interrelativeness in all of them.”

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