Artist Statement: Kaitlyn Birdsall
“The true art of memory is the art of attention.”
--Samuel Johnson(1709-1784)
A memory fades, warps, and melts together in one’s mind, but the emotive quality of an experience and the specific elements that struck you stay strong . Through my paintings, I wanted to capture these twisting, fading memories. While these pieces are representational, I want these works to not only bring about remembrance of a specific place but to display the essence of the place itself. All of my work has specific places in mind, but they are not realistic in any regard, for I was not trying to paint the place but rather the emotive quality I felt and remember of that place. I hope to evoke the same feelings that I experiences as I went there: a lonely, whimsical fading abbey, a breath taking, incomprehensible mosque, a welcoming nurturing hill, an alien intense mountain. Each place I paint has a personality so unique to that spot, I wanted to capture that.
While I used some photo references, I tried to remember and imagine what that place was like. Many of the experiences I painted from were from two years ago when I was studying abroad in Europe. These memories are sadly already fading and changing for me, and so these paintings help me keep the memory quite vivid in my mind.
Through these works I also wanted to further develop my artistic style. Inspired by such artists as Chuck Close, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Vincent Van Gogh, I wanted to develop my own personal style that is easily recognizable. These swirls of color that separate different shapes and yet connect them at the same time create a style that I hope makes the viewer have to look and think before they begin to comprehend the artwork. I use a variety of warm and cool colors in both highlights and shadows, and I believe this adds a depth to the paint that makes it more interesting. While most of the subjects are architectural in nature, I painted much more organic shapes that allows for unique interpretations. Through my style I hope to create that feeling of it being a memory or dream and at the same time I want the piece to become memorable to the viewer.
“The true art of memory is the art of attention.”
--Samuel Johnson(1709-1784)
A memory fades, warps, and melts together in one’s mind, but the emotive quality of an experience and the specific elements that struck you stay strong . Through my paintings, I wanted to capture these twisting, fading memories. While these pieces are representational, I want these works to not only bring about remembrance of a specific place but to display the essence of the place itself. All of my work has specific places in mind, but they are not realistic in any regard, for I was not trying to paint the place but rather the emotive quality I felt and remember of that place. I hope to evoke the same feelings that I experiences as I went there: a lonely, whimsical fading abbey, a breath taking, incomprehensible mosque, a welcoming nurturing hill, an alien intense mountain. Each place I paint has a personality so unique to that spot, I wanted to capture that.
While I used some photo references, I tried to remember and imagine what that place was like. Many of the experiences I painted from were from two years ago when I was studying abroad in Europe. These memories are sadly already fading and changing for me, and so these paintings help me keep the memory quite vivid in my mind.
Through these works I also wanted to further develop my artistic style. Inspired by such artists as Chuck Close, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Vincent Van Gogh, I wanted to develop my own personal style that is easily recognizable. These swirls of color that separate different shapes and yet connect them at the same time create a style that I hope makes the viewer have to look and think before they begin to comprehend the artwork. I use a variety of warm and cool colors in both highlights and shadows, and I believe this adds a depth to the paint that makes it more interesting. While most of the subjects are architectural in nature, I painted much more organic shapes that allows for unique interpretations. Through my style I hope to create that feeling of it being a memory or dream and at the same time I want the piece to become memorable to the viewer.