becky koenig

Text Box: about
Text Box: contact

BECKY KOENIG

ARTISTS STATEMENT

My current art practice is primarily composed of paintings that are symbolic in nature. The most recent body of work addresses a large overall theme of the dichotomy of nature and technology. These paintings express the dual worlds in which we live: that of cyber reality opposed to the reality of our natural environment.

There are several sub groupings of works within the aforementioned theme. One group of works is based on the iconographic depiction of the senses, as indicated by the multiple works entitled Sound and Vision. These paintings depict visual and aural perception; inspired by my color theory research and the symbols for sound, vision and/or olfaction that are part of my visual vocabulary.

There is a second group of works that have a long horizontal format which can be thought of as visual equations, with either end equalizing / reflecting each other or simply calculating to a final result.

A third, more comprehensive group of works offset computer symbology with horticultural and agricultural references. These works are motivated by my personal engagement with the garden and the processes of growing plants. The references have evolved into allusions to genetically engineered crops, the point where nature and technology intertwine. As metaphor for this contrast, computer symbols are countered with human or plant forms.

My paintings are fairly straightforward stylistically; color fields, painterly surfaces and refined areas of detail convey the drama within each painting. I consider color to be my principal mode of expression.

My art making process is an introspective approach to the media culture’s barrage of visual information tied to a contemplative view of natural form. This group of works focuses on how we draw our experience of the natural and technological worlds inside us to form our humanity.