Originally from the USA, Mapes studied Painting at San Francisco Art Institute (1996–2000) and Studio Arts Centre International, Florence (2006–07). She then went on to receive her MFA in Painting at the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, London (2008–10). Since then, she has been based in London and Italy. She is currently enrolled on the Turps Off- Site Education Art School in London (2021-2023).
Mapes’ art explores themes of truth. The truth about painting. The truth about surface. The truth about making and the process that evolves around that. Mistakes are made and left on view. The rawness of the material is just as active as the paint floating or sinking on/into the surface. For Mapes the expanding of a surface is extremely important.... ‘painting outside the lines’ per say.
She is intrigued with the notion of play, while exploring mediums such as, clay, glass, paint, mud, hay and DYI material, etc. Most, if not all the materials used reference autobiographically. Colour is the focus point of her work, understanding how these combinations melt together or scream in separation. Creating space and openness in the work lets each object be itself. There is evidence of traces by previous mark-marking, revealing the changes made during the painting process. In this way, she examines how a thought process can be realised in
form and paint.
