Artist Statement Aleksandra Rdest: Postcards from the void
These works were inspired by the life in tide pools among jagged rocks along the shore of the rough Atlantic Ocean, an area which is cautioned against due to its proximity to the pounding waves and swift undercurrent. My current paintings have been created out of longing for something just beyond reach; alluring, yet destructive.
While living in the constantly changing and often harsh climate, one is often forced to seek sheltered spaces. I began to think about creating these kinds of spaces within my work. Spaces which envelope the viewer and shelter them, if only for a moment, from the world outside. I was motivated by the desire to communicate a deeper meditative experience. When I arrived in Newfoundland my work was a response to the external hugeness of the landscape and the newness of living so close to nature. Now that I have been here for a while my work has taken on a deeper exploration of the details of the place. The colors are lush, exuberant. Taking cues from the otherwise gray looking rocky shore where I often find bright bursts of lichen. In the darkness there is always some light, once we let our eyes adjust to it.
Working without a preconceived image; the paintings are built up in layers, each layer is created in reference to the ones before it. The patterns inspired by sound waves, clouds, bubbles in ice, particles and cells on a microscopic level. I use a methodical process wherein I smooth the surface of the painting until it is reflective; in order to engage the viewer directly and to mimic the process through which the water wears away the stone. With my paintings I want to pose questions rather than answer them.
These works are from a series I have called “Postcards from the void”. When I looked into what I thought was the void; the dark rough ocean I found the tide pools at the edge of the murky depths. Magic lives in the tide pools. I was physically drawn to that place but it also became something wider in my imagination. I began to create a place where the water smoothes out all imperfections and a multiplicity of life clings to the rock. These then are works of the imagination, just under the waves in that places where we can’t go lest we be smashed into the jagged rocks. 2008
Unraveling sheets of sound
oil, alkyd and acrylic on canvas over panel
36 x 48"
2008
AVAILABLE
Deep resonance
oil, alkyd and acrylic on canvas over panel
46 x 60"
2008
Private Collection
Pounding pulse
oil, alkyd and acrylic on canvas over panel
20 x 24"
2008
AVAILABLE
Soothing sensation
oil, alkyd and acrylic on canvas over panel
46 x 60"
2008
AVAILABLE at Rumi Galleries
Needing greedy for more
oil, alkyd and acrylic on canvas over panel
36 x 48"
2008
AVAILABLE at Rumi Galleries
Roaring roaming rummaging
oil, alkyd and acrylic on canvas over panel
46 x 60"
2008
Private Collection
