Aleksandra Rdest
This body of work was created after my arrival in Newfoundland from Toronto; it was fertilized by the drive across the country to reach this place. Coming from a place of human proportions; everything is new to me here. The scale is epic. Rock and trees, lakes and the ocean. You can become consumed by the vastness; the enormity of ground you could cover. Or, you can become consumed by the details; the lichen and mosses can bring you to a standstill.
While being an extension of my previous painterly pursuits, this work is a clarification of my ideas regarding the landscape in abstract painting: through abstraction we are able to see both the microscopic and the macro views through layers of one another in a unified plane.
These pieces are created from a longing for a space and place which is within our reach but outside the realm of human experience; they create an experience that is formed from memories and desires. They have a seductive quality which draws the viewer in and suggestive details which hold their attention. I construct my paintings from many translucent layers of colour to create a deep rich space.
These pieces were created in response to a particular place yet I feel they reflect the essence of the Canadian landscape in a way that is fresh and distinctly contemporary. Using references to film and digital photography I am re-iterating the mediated way that we experience the world; often through a window or a screen, rather than having a direct encounter. I use this method to call into question how we distance ourselves from our surroundings while living in them.
Aleksandra Rdest
While being an extension of my previous painterly pursuits, this work is a clarification of my ideas regarding the landscape in abstract painting: through abstraction we are able to see both the microscopic and the macro views through layers of one another in a unified plane.
These pieces are created from a longing for a space and place which is within our reach but outside the realm of human experience; they create an experience that is formed from memories and desires. They have a seductive quality which draws the viewer in and suggestive details which hold their attention. I construct my paintings from many translucent layers of colour to create a deep rich space.
These pieces were created in response to a particular place yet I feel they reflect the essence of the Canadian landscape in a way that is fresh and distinctly contemporary. Using references to film and digital photography I am re-iterating the mediated way that we experience the world; often through a window or a screen, rather than having a direct encounter. I use this method to call into question how we distance ourselves from our surroundings while living in them.
Aleksandra Rdest