"In Art there is only one thing that counts: the thing you can't explain."
- Georges Braque
Susan Finer was born and raised on Long Island, NY, where her proximity to city, seashore, and woods influenced her development as an artist, as did the work of her artist father.
As a teenager, she frequented the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the carved African masks and Islamic metalwork beckoned to her, and the Museum of Modern Art, whose 20th century art collection drew her in. Meanwhile, a trip to Mexico piqued her interest in the sculpture and textiles of Central and South America.
Studying Jung's writings on archetypal images in college put all of these art forms in an intriguing light. At the same time, Finer began to study weaving with Chicago fiber artist Irene Suyeoka, and these influences crept into her work in fiber. In addition, she was drawn to the work of fiber artists like Anni Albers, Lenore Tawney, and the quilters of Gee's Bend. Later, while living in Boston, she took classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Massachusetts College of Art.
Finer's work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the country, including Mills Gallery in Boston, Harvard University’s Holyoke Gallery, New England Institute of Art, the Museum of Design in Atlanta, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, Haen Gallery in Asheville, NC, FRANK Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC, and Touchstone Gallery in Washington DC.
As a teenager, she frequented the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the carved African masks and Islamic metalwork beckoned to her, and the Museum of Modern Art, whose 20th century art collection drew her in. Meanwhile, a trip to Mexico piqued her interest in the sculpture and textiles of Central and South America.
Studying Jung's writings on archetypal images in college put all of these art forms in an intriguing light. At the same time, Finer began to study weaving with Chicago fiber artist Irene Suyeoka, and these influences crept into her work in fiber. In addition, she was drawn to the work of fiber artists like Anni Albers, Lenore Tawney, and the quilters of Gee's Bend. Later, while living in Boston, she took classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Massachusetts College of Art.
Finer's work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the country, including Mills Gallery in Boston, Harvard University’s Holyoke Gallery, New England Institute of Art, the Museum of Design in Atlanta, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, Haen Gallery in Asheville, NC, FRANK Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC, and Touchstone Gallery in Washington DC.