The Paper Dolls series unfolded quite by accident, or perhaps it was by luck? I discovered a dissonant joy and longing in the repeating nameless-faceless forms of the vaguely female shapes I cut while playing with my daughter. While my initial intent was to entertain my little girl with these fun and innocent cutouts, I found myself imagining a story and character for each strand of figures. The repetitive patterns that unfolded reminded me of the ways in which our society so often ascribes stereotypes for each woman; ones that we impose upon ourselves, and ones that are imposed upon us.
As the ambiguity of each doll shape faded away when paper, paint, canvas, and pen combined, the narratives of each painting emerged, so too did their titles. One-worded but with double meaning, each painting is named in a manner reflective of the way in which each work investigates the female experience, sometimes playfully, sometimes flippantly, sometime defiantly…
The various colors, iconography, symmetry, and interplay between negative and positive space on canvas combine to create a body of work that investigates the contradictions and complexity of the modern female experience.
Article I wrote for Autism Speaks telling of how and why I started my Artism series, this seems to sum it up best: https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2015/09/25/facing-autism-painting-colors-spectrum
Other Links:
Website: http://www.koschwitzsalerno.com or more simply LisaKSalerno.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaKSalerno
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaksalerno/
“The Lovers”, Oil on Canvas, 40″ x 40″
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