Vignette: Lori Larusso

Josh Jenkins · March 24, 2017

“I hope to provoke the viewer to consider the contradictions arising from our contemporary fixation with notions of health.“ – Lori Larusso

*"Eating Animals (Broccoli Poodle)" by Lori Larusso, 19x10in, acrylic on shaped panel (2016), price available on request*

When you hear the term “political art”, what comes to mind? Campaign and propaganda posters from contentious times; “Buy Bonds” during World War II, “Join The Party” from Europe in the 1930’s - Iconic mileposts of social change. Yet, in the work of Lori Larusso we find social and political statements about food production and distribution in the U.S. that are as slick, clean and polished as the height of the form, but placed in a whimsical context that makes the message more approachable; couching the provocative in a comfortable mid-Twentieth Century aesthetic.

“Our unhealthy obsession with healthy food often masks the origins of its production,” explains Larusso. “It also fails to consider who has the financial means and access to consume foods defined as healthy. For those in need of assistance, state bureaucracy determines the affordability and accessibility of staple foods. WIC programs, for example, allow for the purchase of sugary breakfast cereals, while at the same time, refuse to allow for the purchase of organic dairy products and high quality all natural foods. These newest paintings are reflections on the disconnect between the disturbing realities of commercial food production and our often naive assumptions about the pastoral lifestyle of animals raised for consumption. Here, the presentation of the food images, (cagey, but carefully prepared and staged) calls to mind the desire to provide healthful foods for ourselves and families while evoking the contrasting reality, both the abusive treatment of animals in CAFOs and those unable to participate in the health market.”

The pieces are illustrative and narrative, but Larusso states that, “the tangible quality of finished pieces is tied more directly to a contemporary painting practice.” Digital images of the work don’t clarify that these pieces are acrylic painted on shaped panels, so, as is always the case, a proper reading of the work requires viewing it in person. Larusso’s work can be seen at this moment in three exhibits:

March 3 - April 29 -The Chamber of Golden Light & Eating Animals at James May Gallery: Algoma, WI

February 12 - March 18 - Art and Tart at KMAC Shop; Louisville, KY

January 19 - April 30 - Contemplation Consumed: Artworks by Johanna Goodman, Natsuko Hattori and Lori Larusso, Porter Contemporary; New York, NY

Hometown: Massillon, Ohio
Age: 36
Education: MFA, Interdisciplinary Studies- Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) BFA, Studio Art- University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning
Galley Representation: Skidmore Contemporary (Santa Monica, CA), Jordan Faye Contemporary (Baltimore, MD), Porter Contemporary (New York, NY)
Website: www.lorilarusso.com

*"Eating Animals (Green Grapes Porcupine)" by Lori Larusso, 18.5x10.5in, acrylic on shaped panel (2017), price available on request*

*"Eating Animals (Banana Dolphins)" by Lori Larusso, 24.5x12in, acrylic on shaped panel (2017), price available on request*

*"Eating Animals (Cucumber Shamu)" by Lori Larusso, 15x6in, acrylic on shaped panel (2017), price available on request*

*"Eating Animals (Strawberry Mice)" by Lori Larusso, 16x7in, acrylic on shaped panel (2017), price available on request*

*"Eating Animals (Waffle Sea Turtle)" by Lori Larusso, 24.5x12in, acrylic on shaped panel (2017), price available on request*

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more. — *Are you interested in being on Artebella?* *Click here* *to learn more.*

Painting

Vignette: Jessica Olberz Singleton

Josh Jenkins · December 6, 2016

"Spinning Sun" by Jessica Olberz Singleton, 24x24in, acrylic on canvas, $85 | BUY NOW — *"Spinning Sun" by Jessica Olberz Singleton, 24x24in, acrylic on canvas, $85 | BUY NOW*

When a layperson ponders what makes an artist, they might begin by considering that is simply a matter of perspective, and also the ability to hold a perception and explore it; a search for insight and understanding of our existence within the world around us. It is the thing that makes an artist stop and investigate a rain puddle, or find the gentle passing of time marked by nature as prosaic, and then find some way to capture that impression through creative expression.

In her artist’s statement, Singleton explains, “I remember my shock and amazement the first time I saw the clouds move. I was five years old. I learned to slow down, be still, and look more closely. Taking that time today, I see and hear things that seem to come out of nowhere. Just last week I found a tiny, perfectly preserved frog skeleton beneath the seat of my car. It fits on a penny with room to spare. What are the odds?”

“Nature brings me to my senses and my senses remind me that I am in (and of) this world. And, so, inevitably I bring nature into my studio to spend more time with the leaves and the flowers. In my studio, I enjoy the sensory experience of mixing colors and moving them over the paper or canvas and watching how, with time, something new emerges.”

"Diamonds" by Jessica Olberz Singleton, 10x14in, watercolor and ink, $50 (unframed) | BUY NOW — *"Diamonds" by Jessica Olberz Singleton, 10x14in, watercolor and ink, $50 (unframed) | BUY NOW*

The importance of memory and sensory experience in Singleton’s work relate to time itself; the most underappreciated material in an artist’s toolbox. It plays a role in any artist’s process but is rarely acknowledged.

Singleton is also a photographer and a yoga instructor, and her painting includes mandalas that tie more obviously into health and wellness, but all of the artist’s work is inextricably connected to the harmony of nature. It clearly represents an important aspect of her spirituality, and in 2011 she opened The Trilliquin Center, where she teaches varying levels of yoga, including Gentle, Iyengar and Restorative Yoga, as well as art workshops and community events.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 40
Education: BA, University of Louisville, 2000, majored in Fine Arts with a concentration in Drawing, minored in Psychology and Women's Studies.
Website: http://jessicaolberz.com

"White Mandala on Plaid Wash" by Jessica Olberz Singleton, 12x16in, watercolor and gouache, $80 (framed) | BUY NOW — *"White Mandala on Plaid Wash" by Jessica Olberz Singleton, 12x16in, watercolor and gouache, $80 (framed) | BUY NOW*

"Four Circles" by Jessica Olberz Singleton, 10x14in, watercolor and ink, $50 (unframed) | BUY NOW — *"Four Circles" by Jessica Olberz Singleton, 10x14in, watercolor and ink, $50 (unframed) | BUY NOW*

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more.