Susan Blake works in several media including photography, painting, collage and ceramics. Blake’s ongoing interest in geometric abstraction and sensuous form comes to the fore in her hand-painted ceramic work in which she uses the vessel form as a jumping off point for exploring of color and pattern. Although she relishes that her vessel works call to mind a multiple of anthropological and art historical associations, she deliberately leaves their meaning open to interpretation. In Chicago, Blake has exhibited at The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, The Hyde Park Art Center, Columbia College A+D Gallery among others. In Denver her work has been shown at RULE Gallery, Redline Contemporary Art Center, the Arvada Center, the Pattern Shop Studio and Hinterland Art Space among others.

 Education

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, Department of Painting and Drawing

Columbia College, Chicago, IL, School of Photography

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, MA, Art History, emphasis in modern and contemporary art, University Fellow

BA, Art History, Minor Geology

Experience

Taught art history survey courses, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Arts Writer, Chicago New Art Examiner and other publications. Wrote feature articles, exhibition reviews and art catalogs

Arts Researcher, St. Martins Press. Worked on “Who’s Who in Art" and “Who’s Who in Design” reference book series

Independent Illustrator and Graphic Designer, Specialized in photo illustration. Clients included Lehman Brothers, Grubb & Ellis and Argonne National Laboratory among others