Stephen Fisher earned a B.F.A. in painting and printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University (1976) and an M.F.A. in printmaking from Yale University (1981). He has taught at Rhode Island College in Providence for 35 years as a Professor of Art specializing in printmaking and drawing. Fisher’s work has been exhibited in a variety of national and, occasionally, international venues and earned numerous awards in a wide range of competitions. His drawings and prints can be found in numerous public, corporate and private collections. Public recognition of Fisher’s efforts include a regional N.E.A. Fellowship, 3 Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Fellowships and a Graphic Media Achievement Award from American Artist Magazine.
Artist Statement
For some years my visual explorations have primarily focused on two major imagery genres (still life and landscape) in two technical modes (drawing and printmaking). Common to all the work is my obsession with intense perceptual rigor, compositional manipulation, the viscosity of light, and the tactile, sensual nature of materials. Light is the tie that binds and the force that fractures. Light defines and coalesces the tangible world of objects and spaces. Therefore, it is rigorous perceptual attention to nuances of value created by the action of that light that provides the key to illusion in my drawings and prints. Yet the same light also undermines the illusion by burning away the supposedly solid edges of objects, flattening spaces by asserting its own tangibility. Information gathered from intense observation reveals this simultaneous definition and dissolution of the world.
Additional Info
Artist Website: stephenfisherartist.com
Part of Growing the NetWorks
This artist was selected by a past NetWorks Rhode Island participant as part of Growing the NetWorks — a 2025 exhibition presented by WaterFire Providence, at the WaterFire Arts Center, celebrating peer-nominated artists from across Rhode Island. Learn more at waterfire.org/growingthenetworks
Highlighting the work of selected artists who have played vital roles in shaping the contemporary visual arts community in Rhode Island. This collection of brief video portraits provides a window into the lives, practices, and cultural contributions of professional artists.
