Artist Statement: Linda Laino

I approach my painting practice as an investigation. I never attempt to tell a story but I use the figure and recognizable images to ground the painting, while exploring the abstract possibilities of forms colliding in space. I am interested in the way narratives evolve unbidden during the process, and ​​find endless excitement in contrasting or ambiguous forms that coexist, interact, ask questions and inspire curiosity. In the end, the paintings tell me a story.

My visual language draws from many sources, but particularly from nature, biology, poetry and film. While I paint mainly with watercolor on mulberry paper, exploiting the transparent qualities of both, I don’t believe in a hierarchy of materials and will use anything that makes the image feel more convincing. To that end, my arsenal also sometimes includes gouache, charcoal, graphite, conte, wax crayons, ink, and acrylic.

My process of layering images visually is similar to the way we hear sound in our daily lives. Incongruous sounds enter and exit our space without consent, resulting in a tapestry of song that needs no composer. We encounter the world visually in the same way, but mostly in a blur, unconscious and un-awake. I hope to harness the stillness of the moving picture in an effort to arrest the viewer and create a vivid sense of experience.