Divergent Painting

Mari’ is a New Mexico born artist who moved to New York in 2001 to study at Syracuse University. Her work is devoted to exploring the limits, aesthetics, and possibilities of paint, medium, and form. She is commonly inspired by the action painting techniques of Abstract Expressionism. The result is an idiosyncratic body of artwork that is original, colorful, and evokes an emotional response from its audience. ARTIST STATEMENT I paint with the conviction that color can manipulate the mind; it can make the heart beat faster, whet the appetite, or spark a memory. Much of our reaction to color is subliminal, and we are generally unaware of its pervasive and seductive effects. The colors we see are invariably influenced by what we feel; therefore, we can never really separate what we see from what we know. Contrast and color are essential in my process. I start by selecting two or three colors; I work the canvas from all angles discovering new forms of composition through the use of movement and gravity. I push the paint to its chemical limit allowing it to mutate and evolve. My work is based on the fact that we have become imprinted with a reaction to colors, shapes, and patterns. Through the use of both color psychology and geology, and executed through chemistry I have created visual colorscapes that engage both the conscious and subconscious, provoking the audience to find imagery through movement. Everyone sees something different! What do you see?