Statement

Anna Dibble's interest in amalgamated or hybrid animals started as a childhood obsession with the Duckbilled Platypus. Influences and sources come from the art of indigenous and early cultures, comics, literature, folklore and natural history. Juxtapositions and paradoxes are the main themes. Anna thinks of her work as being like the Trickster character in myth who’s the spirit of the in-between, the crossroads, the melding of opposite traits.

CANINE CONUNDRUMS - STATEMENT: 2008 PAINTINGS

This series of paintings is Dibble's attempt to follow questions about art and about dogs and people. Making art and living with dogs are ventures supported by questions. The artist lives in a comfortable pack of two canines and two primates. She thinks a lot about how people look at dogs and relate to them, and imagines how dogs might look at people. She's constantly surprised by the dogs. In some ways she thinks of them as four legged hairy dog people. And imagines the dogs themselves sometimes think they are part human.

Compared to the other animals, humans often behave in absurd, contradictory, confusing ways. People's lives are like 'Through the Looking Glass'. Everything is upside down, backwards, magical, terrible, beautiful, funny and nonsensical all at the same time. Life with dogs is Dibble's current metaphor for this condition. Dogs and humor seem to suit the insanity in the world around us.

When Dibble paints and draws she tries to work towards a balance of intuition and reason. She hopes for more intuition and less reason. She plays with the materials and tries to learn how they work for and against her; strives to trust herself and follow some sort of instinct that feels mostly like more questions. Conundrums.

Bio

For over 30 years, Dibble - primarily a self trained artist - has exhibited her animal art extensively in New England galleries. She also spent many years working as an artist and writer in L.A., S.F. and NYC in animation studios, including Disney, Marvel, Hanna Barbera, the Electric Company and Sesame Street. These experiences in the cartoon world, combined with her love of natural history and folklore/myth inspire her work.

Anna Dibble grew up in Peru, Vermont, a village with fewer than 50 residents. She lived with pet raccoons, wild birds, and an interesting sequence of domestic animals. She fished for trout and catfish, camped, drew and painted, wrote puppet show scripts and plays. Anna’s early life is the foundation for her artwork and writing.

Resume

Anna Dibble

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2009: Healthy Living Natural Foods Market Cafe, Burlington, VT
2008: Lazy Pear Gallery, Montpelier, VT
2006: Lazy Pear Gallery, Montpelier, VT
2002: Plum Gallery, Williamstown, MA
2000: Garden Gallery, Londonderry, VT
1996: Beside Myself Gallery, Sunderland, VT
1994: Beside Myself Gallery, Sunderland, VT
1992: Southern VT Art Center, Manchester, VT
1979: Southern VT Art Center, Manchester, VT
1975: Garden Gallery, Londonderry, VT
1973: Southern VT Art Center, Manchester, VT

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2009: Southern VT Arts Center, Manchester, VT
Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum, Manchester, VT
Fernwood Gallery, Norwell, MA
2009 - ongoing: Edgewater Gallery, Middlebury, VT
2006 - 2009: Collection - Lazy Pear Gallery, Montpelier, VT
2003 - 2008: Collection - Plum Gallery, Williamstown, MA
2004: Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, VT
2002: A.P.E. Gallery, Northhampton, MA
2000,'01: Carving Studio Gallery, Rutland, VT
1973 -'03: Southern VT Art Center, Manchester, VT
1973 -'99: Stratton Arts Festival, Stratton, VT

WORK HISTORY:
2007 – ongoing: Launched ‘dibbledog’ : www.dibbledog.com: Online retail and wholesale business specializing in cards and prints.
2006, 07: Set designer, creative director for Jan. ’07 Opera Theatre of Weston’s production: Ravel’s ‘L’Enfant et les Sortileges’
2003 - 2006: Artist Residencies for children and adults: VT schools, libraries, arts programs, summer camps: Recycled and Natural Materials used in classes and children’s theatrical productions: Puppets, Masks, Murals, Sculpture, Collage, Art Books.
2005: Set and Costume Designer: ‘Revelations’ by Dr. John Nassivera, Green Mt. College, and music composed and performed by Donald Knaack.
2004 –2006 : Set Designer for Jan. ‘06 VT premiere of Francesca Zambello’s opera: ‘The Little Prince’ with music by Rachel Portman, libretto by Nicholas Wright.
- Okemo Community Challenge Grant: Residency at Ludlow Elementary making props for ‘Little Prince’.
1999 – 2006: Artistic Director/Set & Costume Design for ‘Junk Music’ opera: ‘Odin’: Workshop/Showcase Premiere April 14,15,16 ’06 @ Loewe Theater, New York University.
1998 – ongoing: Developed a character licensing property involving art, design, and writing. Licenses with several manufacturers, including Ski/Snowboard program at Bromley Mountain Inc.
1990 – 2002: Owner of Dibble Designs: High-end hand painted and silkscreen clothing and accessories for children and adults.
1986 – 1990: Writer, Designer, Composer: 16 animation pieces based on numbers, letters, and learning concepts for Children’s TV Workshop: Sesame Street.
1980 – 1989: Animation artist for Walt Disney Company, Hanna Barbera, Marvel, and many commercial and ‘specials’ animation houses: SF and LA CA., Chapel Hill, NC, and NYC.

EDUCATION/TRAINING:
2000: Art New England @ Bennington College: Ceramics with Makoto Yabe
1999: Vermont Studio Center: Mixed media sculpture.
1995, 1996: Summer Painting and Sculpture courses/ Art New England: Paul Stopforth (South African artist)
1971 – 1980: Drawing. Lothar Wuerslin. Sandgate, VT
1972, 1973: Parsons School of Design, New School (NYC): Illustration, drawing.
1971: Etching: Pittsburgh PA with artist George Nama
1969 – 1973: Marlboro College (VT)
1969: Boston Museum School Summer program
1965 – 1969: Cambridge School of Weston (MA)

MEMBERSHIP: ASCAP (Music composers union), MPSC (Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists)