Diane Marie Kramer is a multidisciplinary artist whose creative journey spans painting, sculpture, photography, and writing. A former teaching artist and published author, Kramer has spent her life exploring the invisible threads that connect memory, intuition, and the unconscious. Her art is not merely about depicting reality but about entering a dream state where inner worlds unfold. Each piece she creates is deeply rooted in intuition, shaped by past experiences, and infused with the essence of time.
An Artist of Intuition and Inner Vision
At the heart of Kramer’s work is her belief that art begins from within. For her, creation is less about observation and more about perception, about discerning what she calls “the essence of things.” Like nature, which shapes landscapes slowly through time, Kramer has been shaped by her own life experiences. These experiences, layered with memory and emotion, find form through her brush, clay, and camera.
Kramer’s process relies heavily on intuition and dream states. She describes these as channels that allow her to focus beyond immediate visual reality. When she works, she surrenders to this inner flow, entering a dreamlike space where images, feelings, and forms emerge organically. Through this state, she accesses what she calls “the unconscious world,” a realm where her works are born before they manifest in physical form.
The Passage of Time as a Central Theme
Time is not just a concept in Kramer’s art; it is a presence. Her works convey the layered passage of moments, memory, and transformation. Each piece reflects both who she is as an artist and as an individual, mapping an inner journey as much as an outer one.
This sensitivity to time extends into her use of materials. Kramer often integrates collected memorabilia from family and friends into her pieces. These fragments carry their own histories, adding emotional resonance to her art. The merging of past and present, personal and universal, creates an alchemical process where color, texture, and form are transformed into something entirely new.
Her fascination with materiality, be it the softness of paint, the roughness of clay, or the weathered edges of found objects, becomes a way to bridge the physical world with the emotional and spiritual. In every work, the layering of textures and materials reflects the layering of time and memory.
Palette, Material, and the Alchemy of Creation
Color and texture hold special importance in Kramer’s practice. She has developed a keen sensitivity to palette, often choosing hues and surfaces that evoke emotion as much as they define form. The blending of color with physical textures creates a richness that mirrors her intuitive process.
This alchemy of creation, the melding of materials, memory, and emotion, gives her work a unique presence. Objects that might seem ordinary or discarded in another context become transformed in her hands, elevated into vessels of meaning. Kramer’s art reminds us that beauty and truth can emerge from unexpected places, especially when guided by intuition.
Featured Work: Crossed Paths
One of Kramer’s most striking works is Crossed Paths, a mixed-media clay sculpture that embodies her philosophy and process. The piece features a symphony of found shoe soles she collected while living in San Francisco, California. These worn soles, each bearing the imprint of countless steps and journeys, become metaphors for human experience, intersecting paths, and the stories we leave behind.
Mounted on wood and combined with other found and saved objects, Crossed Paths incorporates iron handmade feet and clay that Kramer herself pit-fired on a beach in San Francisco. The raw, organic firing process, exposed to natural elements, imbues the clay with unpredictable patterns and textures. Later, after moving back to Michigan, Kramer completed the sculpture, merging her past and present into a singular artistic statement.
The piece not only reflects Kramer’s fascination with found objects but also her belief in the significance of transformation over time. The soles, once discarded, now form a powerful visual chorus, an artwork that speaks to memory, movement, and the interconnectedness of human lives.
Beyond the Visual: Art as Reflection of the Self
Kramer’s work cannot be confined to a single medium or interpretation. Her paintings, sculptures, and photographs are all different expressions of the same journey, an exploration of the unconscious and the intuitive. She creates not to replicate the world around her, but to reflect inner landscapes and emotional truths.
Each piece is, in essence, a self-portrait not in the literal sense, but as a reflection of her evolving identity as an artist and individual. By embracing intuition and allowing materials to guide her, Kramer crafts works that mirror her own passage through life. Her art is both deeply personal and universally resonant, inviting viewers to contemplate their own inner worlds.
Conclusion
Diane Marie Kramer’s art is a testament to the power of intuition, memory, and transformation. Whether through paint, clay, or photography, she invites us into a space where dream states and unconscious imagery take form, reminding us that art is as much about feeling as it is about seeing. Her ability to infuse found objects, personal memorabilia, and natural processes with profound meaning reveals a sensitivity that is rare and timeless.
With works like Crossed Paths, Kramer shows us that every step we take leaves a trace, every object carries a history, and every moment of time shapes who we are. Rooted in intuition, her art is not only a reflection of her own inner journey but also an invitation for others to connect with their own.
