It’s simple and yet so complicated.

 

I think as Americans we tend to want to fill every empty space in our life.  

Whether it’s our empty walls,

our garage,

or our time.  

If we have space

we think, we should fill it.

 

But I would like to challenge you...

ART IS NOT ABOUT FILLING SPACE

Allow yourself to be a little uncomfortable.

 

One of my favorite rooms in the Portland Art Museum is when you come up the stairwell in the Modern and Contemporary Arts Building to second floor.  The landing is quite large and the ceilings are high. There are a few large Color Field paintings. They each have just a few colors and shapes. There are two sculptures placed at the center of the room.  I think people often walk through there and think, this isn’t art I could do that! But these pieces of art have everything to do with you the viewer, where they are placed, and the experience. If given time, you become very aware of where you lie in relation to many things: art, space, and emotion, to name a few.  If rushed through, it seems blank and empty. You will miss it.

 

This idea of placement in space is very interesting to me.  As is society's apparent need to fill every space of your life leaving no room for the unspoken and the unseen.  The internal conversation that happens when space and time are given.

 

I think this is something that spills over into our spiritual life as well.  We want to fill those empty spaces with something, maybe it's religion or lots of words spoken or heard.  Or maybe it's our own ideologies, or our own made up religion.

​

In this body of work I have chosen to work with the equine and landscape.  Two subjects I meet my Creator in. In working through these subjects my desire is to bring myself and you the viewer closer to the Creative One.

 

I find that I must practice the things I believe art to be.
It’s a process
It’s being conscious
It’s being observant
It’s being vulnerable
And most of all being present in the Creator.

 

Peace,

TALIA LOUISE