ARTIST BIO
Kimberlee Rocca is an Iowa artisan working by day in new home construction, while unceasingly working as a mixed media artist. Born in New Jersey and raised in Iowa, Rocca studied Design, Printmaking, and Fiber Arts at The University of Iowa before earning her BFA in Metal Smithing in 1991. During her studies, Rocca was introduced to Foil Imaging, a unique process which combines traditional printmaking techniques with commercial foil printing processes. She has spent the past 30+ years exploring this incredibly captivating medium, teaching the technique and exhibiting locally and regionally.
While her “pure foil” works are unique, she has expanded her repertoire and works extensively in Mixed Media on Paper, Canvas, Wood Panel and Aluminum in 2 and 3 dimensions. These medium explorations intertwined with her home building site reclamations, fuel the creativity in her two-dimensional works and sculptural installations included in collections of The University of Iowa, The University of Missouri St. Louis, and Kirkwood Community College.
Calling Solon, Iowa home, Rocca with her husband raised 4 loved children and continue to create beautiful custom homes. Now an almost empty nester artistry and life are again evolving. Everything in her life is about furthering artistic connectivity of unique places, people, and stories, with a focus on reaching out in the most colorful way possible.
In addition to her studio work she is locally recognized for her custom home designs in the Iowa City area with unique architectural features, attention to livability in home design, sculptural elements and mosaic installations. Her custom home portfolio can be seen at www.roccacustomhomes.com
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a lover of puzzles, pieces and collections. There is something soothing and reflective in orchestrating order out of chaos and creating beauty with balance from randomness. My process of cutting, coloring, shaping and moving my elements keeps me in close connection with the unlimited possibilities. My fascination with the unexpected color combinations in the creation, nature and the universe fuels my desire to push negative and positive spaces into harmonious compositions. Meander through my works imagining they can be hung in any direction, and where there are multiple pieces, can be rearranged with abandon.
Elements formed from discarded wood sheeting used to protect floors during construction and other construction debris, these mundane and discarded surfaces are reborn with dynamic colors, shapes and relationship in space with oil crayons, pastels, acrylics and roll leaf foils. In a disposable world, I am inspired by reimagining common fabrication substrates that have been cast aside, I re-Form these parts and pieces into a type of modern wall collage, or tapestry if you will, each work telling a story of transformation into beauty.
Solon, IA / United States
