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Painting and Installation
I have created a series of paintings using materials [including but not limited to] acrylic paint, found images, ink, paper, spray paint, house paint, and MARKER. The variety of materials used to create this work impact the shape of the painting in the same way that the variety of marks used impacts the visual result. Acrylic paint mixed with water has been used to create a variance of opacity throughout the pieces. During this process the water saturates the paper changing its shape as well as leaving the mark that is visually recognizable. This technique, as well as the use of thick house paint and spray paint, sculpts the paper and, as a result, the painting resists flatness and the wall on which it is hung. More generally, the curled edges of the paper are recognized as being unsuitable for a gallery exhibition space; in this way, the curl or curve of the paper addresses expectations as well as normalcy. The paintings can be read visually to explore opacity and transparency, as well as boundaries and overlapping. These techniques are used in the writing and creating of authoritative texts. I am interested in realities realized by systems structures of power created through authoritative texts. These authoritative texts, often due to the threat of liability, have the tendency to be convoluted and difficult to interpret. The presence of layering, borders, and transparency vs. opacity contextualizes theoretical implications that shape reality for individuals. Power is allocated to these authoritative texts through the willingness of individuals to consent to their validity without questioning it. I am interested in realizing the intersecting identities and realities that have been subjugated. And I believe that making art has the ability to change these realities as well as explore possible ones.
-OLIVIA ROONEY
