Not Quite Right Painting

For Lea Basile- Lazarus, art is not something that she chooses to do, but rather what she must do. Says Lea, “I am attracted to colors, patterns, and shapes that I find through the lens of my camera and through observation. I am compelled to react to world events that affect the many groups of people that populate our world. There are moments in time that need to be documented. We all see the world differently and my art expresses my intimate reaction, both as a woman and a teacher. I do this through contemporary printmaking and papermaking. These are processes and techniques that I continue to explore and love.” Lea has been a printmaker for over 40 years, taking some time off when her children were young. In graduate school she created abstract lithographs. After returning to printmaking 15 years ago, she began learning about new and innovative contemporary printmaking processes. Currently, she makes monotypes, a one of a kind print, which incorporates multiple layers of colors, shapes, images, and textures. Three years ago, she fell in love with the papermaking process and uses this process to create exciting, colorful paper pulp images. Papermaking is something she’s actively engaged in. “My entire body is always moving, from mixing pigments in paper pulp, to cutting stencils, to making marks or writing words with syringes and turkey basters with the gestural movement of my arm. The mental and physical energy it takes to think, move, and react to the images that are emerging is what makes this process so exciting and invigorating. In both printmaking and papermaking, the exploration of these materials and contemporary processes has allowed me to artistically express my feelings about our most fundamental needs: to belong and to feel safe.” An example of how Lea is inspired by images that then form a basis for her work emerged after a trip to Europe. “Like always, my camera was in my hand. My husband and I were strolling down a beautiful street in Freiberg, Germany, and we cast the most wonderful, elongated shadows on the sidewalk. I photographed our shadows and I instinctively knew at that moment that these shadows would somehow show up in my new work.” First, these shadows appeared with shapes, textures, and colors, creating interesting compositions and stories.