ILENE GRUBER ADAMS
ARTIST STATEMENT
I believe that art and beauty bring joy and well-being to individuals and are essential for a well-balanced life.
Ever since I was a child, I have created one form of art or another, from drawing and painting, to printmaking, graphic design, decorative arts and photography. The artists that influenced me the most are Robert Rauschenberg and Maxfield Parish. Rauschenberg’s influence is apparent in my paintings that incorporate paint, collage, photographic images and artifacts. They evoke a feeling of nostalgia or of imaginary places.
My photographs deal mostly with nature, but nature through an intense filter. Images are put under a microscope and colors are heightened. There is beauty all around us but how often do we take the time to really see it? These ordinary wildlife images are enhanced to create painterly new images that leave the viewer wondering, are they paintings or photographs? Abstract or realistic? One art critic described the grassy water series as “Maxfield Parish visits the Everglades”.
Ilene Adams has over 40 years of professional experience in graphic design, printmaking, illustration, fabric design, painting, photography, and faux finishing, as well as experience in the advertising
and corporate world. Ilene owned a nationally acclaimed multi-million dollar broadcast marketing company in the Northeast for over 20 years.
An award-winning artist, Ilene has been featured in many design magazines both in the New York metropolitan area and the Palm Beaches. Ilene's work is shown extensively in galleries and exhibitions.
Since moving to Florida in 2004, Ilene has also worked in the non-profit art world, bringing her marketing talents and creativity to the Armory, Art Synergy, and APBC and working to advance art and artists in the community. Ilene served as a Mayoral Appointee on the Cultural Affairs Commission and the Public Art Commission in West Palm Beach. She also volunteers at several non-profits.
