Leola Bermanzohn

My work conveys an abstract sensibility anchored in animist depiction of plant life and nature as they occur in the urban landscape. Fascinated with the sway of a heavy stoplight as it dangles in the wind, or street signs at a diagonal created by a hill beneath the concrete, I draw highlights of the world around me. Then, with bold lines and an editors approach to composition, my best sketches go to canvas.

Being a muralist has influenced my painting. Conceptually, I operate as a two-way mirror between the cityscape and my own vision, bringing fine art to the street level, and the city inside the studio. Technically, I cross-reference methods, using a painterly approach on murals, and making extensive use of the grid on canvas. Graphically, I aim to build tight compositions out of loose brush strokes.