Social justice and assemblage art collide in the work of Dr. Wendy G Turner. The artist has a 20+ year career as a social work educator, but has nurtured a lifelong passion for creative pursuits. In 2016, she began using her art to further her work in social justice activism and education.
When confronting issues of social, economic, racial and environmental injustices, art can evoke emotions and raise consciousness in just seconds. It captures attention in ways that printed words cannot. It reaches different populations and exposes them to new paradigms.
In keeping with her views on environmental issues, the artist prefers to repurpose existing materials in her artwork whenever possible. She uses assemblage or bricolage techniques to bring together disparate items in new ways, reflecting her fondness for Surrealist art. Having created shadow boxes since childhood, she frequently houses her assemblages in various boxes, reflecting the influence of artists such as Joseph Cornel and Betye Saar.