Sunshine and Shadows
Artist
Alex Blau
Date2003
MediumAcrylic on linen
Dimensions39 x 39 in.
ClassificationsAcrylic Painting
Credit LineGift of Lynn and Jeffrey Blau
Terms
Object number2008.01
DescriptionContemporary artist Alex Blau has created a unique, signature style. By pouring layer upon layer of clear acrylic over airbrushed patterns, she achieved not only an optical phenomenon, but a testament to the laborious process of creating art. Her distinctive, soft-edged canvasses have a sculptural quality, reinforcing their material nature. Blau's abstract works are as bright and glossy as the tooth-achingly sweet candy wrappers that inspire her patterns.Sunshine and Shadows is a prodigious work born of Blau's painstaking efforts. Jarring intersections of frenetic bands of reds and yellows are kept from the brink of chaos by a thoughtful geometric design. The endless associations that "Sunshine and Shadows" evokes run the gamut from reclaiming Pop Art and Abstraction to the feminist references of the oilcloth table top. Theory aside, Blau's piece is fresh, bold and profoundly satisfying. Blau says, "I want to make work that twists and turns with rhythm. I am inspired by things that people treasure, like quilts; the packaging of things people crave, like candy and snack foods; and, that which we pass by everyday like signs, floor tiles, scaffolding and flowers. With these inspirations as a starting point, I see my painting as a place to create the music of colors and shapes I find in the world."
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