LORI HOROWITZ | ARTIST
Artist Statement
My work is a study of personalities and environments that reflect interpretations of everyday life, catching moments in time. These pieces internalize and project mundane, often overlooked interactions of individuals in society, creating compelling imagery and an intimate view of “persona”. There seems to be an accepted social disconnect or disassociation that enables us to ignore the undesirable or disadvantaged of society. People often choose how they reveal themselves or are perceived by others, unveiling a facade, discarding moral conscience. These works depict isolation, disassociation and violation, vs. confidence, security, and contentment. My images seek out the moments of quiet humanity rapidly recording the spontaneous unfolding of life. This socio/ psycho study brings light to the attention seekers and the overlooked of our society.
My images digest the posture of individuals while faces reflect their stories. These strangers are subjects in my continuing series of artwork, “Burned into Memory” I have been experimenting with copper and its’ properties, combining drawing along with theatrical lighting. By exploring new media, I have developed a process, “drawing with fire”. These images are burned into copper screening creating translucent images and reflective imagery. Images are burned into copper and work like two way mirrors changing significantly based on lighting. The light either bounces off the copper pieces reflecting a strong image or travels though the mesh showing a translucent after image. I enjoy the challenge of working with a diversity of materials, combining photography, wire, papier mache, encaustic wax and painting. I am passionate about using skills of the past and combining them with innovative methods.
Past artworks involved interactions of individuals, their challenges and social place, but in this new era, my current series reflect social distancing. Instead of depicting individuals in society, I’m finding humanity through nature, a place to which I have unlimited access. My new series ”Exodus” is based upon anthropomorphic root formations. Delving deep within the image, I encourage figures to reveal themselves. Forms emerge from the earth, deeply rooted past struggles and growth. These universal issues can be personal, social or political, reflecting challenges we face globally. We must stand together to find place, belonging and comfort at a time when we are all compromised by seen and unseen forces. We are all one race, equally vulnerable. In this new and current environment, we all must learn to cope and embrace a new perspective finding our place in an unfamiliar frontier.