Artist Statement
Maker, 48 x 36 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Persuasion, 28 x 48 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Mirroring, 28 x 48 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Pulling Up, 30 x 60 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Relation of Parts, 32 x 50 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Attachments, 36 x 48 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Between the Two, 28 x 44 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Bridge Over, 26 x 42 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Source, 28 x 44 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Making Many, 24 x 38 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Rushing, 28 x 48 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Ruptured, 32 x 50 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Red Sequence, 30 x 60 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Corresponding, 26 x 42 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Two Aloof, 28 x 48 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Orange Lure, 24 x 38 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
Sweeping Through, 30 x 60 inches, oil and graphite on panel, 2015
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Rose Umerlik Artist’s Statement 2015
My art practice is inextricably tied to my personal history. Stories of family, relationships, and self-awareness generate forces of emotion⎯fear, hope, loss, pain, and love⎯that drive me through the creation of each painting.
From the beginning of each piece, I lay down shapes, lines and bodies of color. As I manipulate these elements, I intuitively recognize how the correlation of these elements mirrors my interpersonal relationships. At different times these lines and forms vary in the way they relate to one another. Sometimes they hold each other, or gesture lovingly; other times they oppose each other or interact aggressively; sometimes their relationship is uncomfortable or uncertain; other times they strive for isolation.
As I move through moments of personal recognition, these moments influence the formulation of the composition. I engage in an extended series of decisions and revisions; tensions undulate on the painted surface, layers of lines, pigments, and shapes are laid down, cleared, and then selectively restored. When a painting is realized conclusively, the surface is necessarily multifarious, the reworked layers reflect my ongoing struggle to accept my history, my present, and to be hopeful of the future.
This complexity of formal elements and process is present throughout my work. My aim is not only to mirror the intricacies of my personal story, but also to connect with the viewer, to echo the personal, emotional struggles that resonate with each of us, and that are present in the collective human mind and heart.
© Copyright Rose Umerlik 2005 - 2023.