One of my goals for this blog is to promote artists whose work I admire and another is to encourage artists working with textile processes and materials to look at work being made in all areas of art. This article is the first to address these goals.
Robert Lazuka is an artist living and working in Athens Ohio. He maintains an active and productive studio there and teaches at Ohio University. More images of his work can be seen at INKTERACTION.
Artist's Statement
Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary has held my interest for many years. There is much magic and mystery in the world. In my work I try to present a moment of anticipation, when something is about to happen or just beginning to unfold - a "magic moment".
Since 1999 I have been pursuing three related bodies of work. "Spirits" is a series of archival inkjet prints depicting fleeting images of mysterious objects or entities within the landscape. I work hard to make these images look as if they just appeared in the camera lens, but in truth, many are composites of multiple shots.
In the "Personal Spaces" series, my approach juxtaposes two or three colored, textured areas to suggest illusion of space and time. These works have been called "abstract landscapes" and reference the surroundings in which we live, whether inside or outside of ourselves.
The third series is tangentially related to the "Personal Spaces" series, with a more experimental approach. These images often go through several incarnations before they are completed. I often collage images together to begin the process, then draw, paint or print on them. I then scan or photograph the images so that I can alter them digitally. After printing the image using inkjet printers, I add more handwork. The image is then re-scanned, manipulated, and printed for one final time.
The opening reception for BEST OF SHOW will be Friday, May 1st from 6-9 PM.
