Abbey
Stace

Abbey Stace was born in Philadelphia in 1970.  She grew up spending large amounts of time walking through woods and developing an intense love of nature, space and quiet. In school she studied psychology, art and science, eventually applying to medical school. A stint in the morgue at the Brigham and Women’s hospital convinced her that she preferred drawing the anatomy to dissecting it. She began drawing and painting in earnest with a focus on the figure and portrait.

Abbey interrupted her practice to raise two children which has resulted in a dramatic shift in perspective. This time gave her an appreciation for the diversity of influences that contribute to our experience and how much of what happens to us is the result of luck. While her early work had focused on realistic rendering, a new appreciation for chance operations and a curiosity regarding the interplay of natural forces has shifted her focus to an investigation into materials and abstraction. 

A post-baccalaureat program at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art helped solidify Abbey’s new direction. Her current works are investigations into materiality, light and composition as well as the temperature and volume of color. Inspired by natural textures and influenced by minimalist and color field abstraction her process involves the extensive layering and subsequent sanding or rubbing away of media and paint. Through these works she explores the interactions of opposing materials, enjoys the unpredictable turns of her process and the contemplative nature of the resulting images. She has participated in many group shows throughout the US and is part of private collections all over the world. She lives and works in Philadelphia, PA.