Lisa Petsu

Artist Statement

I see materials in the world — layers of paint on walls, furniture, objects, and architectural details simultaneously revealing/concealing a narrative of perfectly imperfect drips of paint, blobs of color, and various textures. The layers reveal time, intention and fragments of emotion. The objects I use are buffers between spaces — outside world/interior personal space, extensions of the painted surface — reaching into the real world. Color is as important as texture and other qualities in these materials. Color functions like the sense of smell; it triggers a memory or emotion. It registers time, place and thing. Color is a connection that percolates emotion and idea in my painting. I redigest specific color references from popular culture, nature, my surroundings, intuition and memory onto the layered painting surface — recombining domestic, architectural, personal, and art elements to arrive at something that resonates with my experience in the world.