Melrose Avenue-7811 Gallery
Luscious gardens and tranquil waters transport the viewer to a dreamlike state of escape in these vibrant works by Marisa Murrow. Deep in the woods while in residence at the Vermont Studio Center, Murrow began experimenting with a water saturated surface instead of paint, giving way for a new language of mark making and scale. The paintings are as much about how they are painted as what is depicted.
Staining the canvas as opposed to painting it allows for the image to be more fluid, like the subject matter itself. Colors dance across the surface instantly creating shapes and shadows of things. The paint is guided with water, a brush with decisive action and risk taking, allows the artist to expand her approach.
Reflecting upon (Los Angeles)California, a place of intense beauty and freedom, serves as a profound muse. Whether portraying mobile home parks, boats, swimming pools or flowers, Murrow seeks to capture the essence of home, defining it through her unique perspective.Using art as a medium of expression, she strives to convey a profound sense of liberation and boundless possibilities that lie beyond what confines us.
In this exhibition, Marisa Murrow, Deborah Blum and Sarah Schwartz, artists who live and work in the Los Angeles area, share large scale paintings that ask questions and inspire us to connect to things beyond ourselves.
They ask: What provokes and inspires us in archetypal and challenging ways? What pushes us to reach beyond ourselves and connect to the world, society and nature?
These artists push the boundaries of self-expression to show us, not only what is in their hearts and souls, but what sparks their imagination, inspires and challenges them. Their work illustrates a need to go beyond the confines of home and security to find peace, and a longing to connect to elements BEYOND that ignite their soul and spirit.