Laura Von Rosk

“These small-scale paintings stem from my love of miniaturization, illusion of space, observation of natural phenomena, and appreciation of works from other artists I admire, across cultures and time. Elements of landscape and natural forms mix with memory and imagination. Forms are repeated, emphasized, and manipulated to create tension between the imagined and the real world. At the start they may be inspired by a specific place or visual memory, but as they develop, they may transform into something unexpected. Often, they are completely invented – constructed only to serve particular formal concerns to create an image that I would want to linger over, or a place I want to spend time in. I am fascinated by the rich color and physicality of oil paint. It amazes me how versatile this one medium, oil paint, can be employed in such a variety of ways, creating an endless range of effects. Through metaphor, expressive shape, color, and light, I hope to create images that give visual form to physical forces, as well as psychological states of mind, through an expansive landscape in a small format.”