Deb Roberts' Biography
Deb Roberts grew up in Chillicothe, a small rural town in northwest Missouri. During her twenties and thirties, she studied art at Central College in Pella, Iowa, Missouri Western College in St. Joseph, Missouri, and the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. From 1980 to 1992, she worked as a graphic designer and a product photographer for a small commercial print shop. Deb and her husband Mike, currently reside in Columbia, Missouri.
Photography
I choose to concentrate on still-life photography because I have complete control over the process. Regardless of the outcome of the photograph, for that one moment when I look though the lens, I experience a level of perfection and joy that comes from what I created.
Deb Roberts controls her photographic environment by constructing small and intimate stages for her still-life subject matter. By utilizing long exposures, waiting for the ideal ambient light, and manipulating it with reflective surfaces, Deb ultimately achieves a dramatic and painterly style, reminiscent of chiaroscuro. The right light transforms the subject from ordinary and flat to electric and alive.
Story Quilts
Deb Roberts' story quilts are colorful, playful fiber collages composed of fabric scraps, scanned photos printed on fabric, beads, buttons and found objects. Using both machine and hand stitching in a variety of threads her work is quilted, embroidered and embellished. Each quilt design evolves from a single theme or image and is interpreted in Deb Roberts' own creative way. All finished quilts are framed behind glass and are ready for hanging.