Lisa Barroso

Statement
To the happy few
Stendhal, dedication to Lucien Leuwen, 1834-36

The happy few, you remember, are those who remain emotionally alive, who never compromise, who never succumb to cynicism or the routine of the second-hand. The happy few are not necessarily happy. But they are never corrupted and rarely bored. The happy few possess what Baudelaire calls 'impeccable naÎvet™', the ability to see the world always afresh, either in its tragedy or in its hope. For the happy few, art and life are indistinguishable. Anita Brookner, 'Jacques-Louis David: a Personal Interpretation', Henriette Hertz Trust Lecture, British Academy, 1974

Subject matter is never attached to a work of art like an animal to a tree. It has its existence somewhere in the neighborhood of the work and lives by it, somewhat like the custodian of a museum. Much may be learnt from such a person on application; but if one can get on without him one is freer, less disturbed, and in the end better informed. Rainer Maria Rilke, The Rodin Book, 1903; translated by G. Craig Houston,1954.

I invariably experience difficulty expressing myself with words. The above passages elegantly articulate thoughts about art which strike a chord in me. Since childhood I drew or painted or molded and sculpted, and these methods of communication continue to suit me. As "Artist Statements" are inescapable in our current artistic milieu, I shall venture to generate a coherent and accurate one.

I see making art as creating a unique reality or universe which exists during exposure to and interaction with the viewer(s). To me, the work itself is like a snapshot in time that must convey the most information possible about that precise moment. Much of my work deals with objects, whether they are figures, landscapes, or still-lives. Starting with a particular subject allows me to establish a base from which I then take off artistically and "react" to the world I've begun creating. It is my hope that these "unique realities" will communicate with and express ideas to their viewer(s).

The title of this show, "Figure/Ground", is very literal: all my work consists of some sort of figure(s) and the related ground. On another level, I often use a variety of media to put down pigment and establish a "ground" on the paper before beginning the work itself. Now that I've thoroughly explained the title of this show it is time to let you view the artwork let me communicate with you in a different (and hopefully more cohesive) manner.