Updated Artist Statement
Elizabeth Cavalier
Artist Statement
Functioning networks have been an ongoing subject for my imagery, objects and artistic processes. The initial motivating source for my subject matter stems from a concept within biology, anatomy, network theory, ecology and other fields, called interconnectivity. This concept can be summarized in this way; Each individual element of a specific system interacts with and relies on the other. This interaction occurs simply because they each occupy the same system. I address this idea in my paintings and installations by creating systematic, individualized “worlds” that are inhabited by an accumulation of various components that react and respond to one another.
The imagery within my paintings evolves by way of application, materiality through the paint and a great deal of layering. By using the notion of fragmentation, overgrowth and interconnectivity, abstracted networks are created. The fusion of the materials within each individual layer, along with my imagery, creates not only visual tension, but suggests the relationships between interdependent parts working together to create a whole. Focusing on connections within networks or systems, both literal and visual, I place emphasis on the excessive nature of intricate convergences in both my two-dimensional and three-dimensional work. Doing so accentuates the dynamic, yet delicate interplay that resonates between these interactions and provides a visual synergy between the microscopic and macroscopic.
Although, technically, I have two separate bodies of work, my paintings and sculptural pieces are closely linked through process, concept, imagery and the characteristics of the materials. The installations seem to become three-dimensional manifestations of my paintings. For instance, the small obsessive accumulation of particles found in my paintings, become the masses of pod-like objects in my installations. The solid pours of paint become the large hanging monochromatic, organic forms that not only breakup the space, but activate the space, as well. The line work acts like the wire that entangles and connects forms throughout my installations.
My work is primarily about alchemical processes, materiality and relationships or reactions that occur with the injection of two or more opposing materials. These alchemical processes become the catalyst for creation and allow the materials to transcend from their original properties. The outcome of my work is almost never predetermined. It is through the process of experimentation that my work is created.
