Painting Statement

About the paintings

Memory exists not only in language, but in visual perception. Our minds record, in a non-verbal way, both ideas and images. As input is stored, processed and re-interpreted in idiosyncratic ways, the imagery becomes part of an artist’s visual language.

I use my own bank of mental images to piece together work that has significance to me. In these works, narrative may be implied, but the meanings are not easily described in terms of spoken language.

In the studio my process is as much subtractive as additive. I often sand imagery down or partially cover it to leave a visual history. Each piece starts with a plan, but the plan may only survive briefly. The first few marks can alter the course and then the process itself determines the next step.

I want my work to show evidence of being handmade — a person made decisions, made mistakes, made corrections, added and subtracted up until the moment of completion. The finished work retains indications of its process. In this era of the slick finish, flickering screen and transitory image, this work is meaningful to me.

Paintings by Elizabeth Bruno • All Paintings • All Artists