Final Project Artists Statement
Let’s Get Lost
Sammy Keane
Artist Statement
As an artist, I would describe myself as a perfectionist who hopes to become more fluid and
experimental. I feel most comfortable working with graphite and using hatching techniques to shade
and add depth to bodies of work. Lately, I have been using acrylic paint to create detailed, flat, paintings
that compositionally create space using line-work. I believe I have learned the most from my previous
mistakes. I make sure to continually tell myself to step back and put my work on the wall when I
become frustrated as it allows me to see my pieces from a different perspective.
Let’s Get Lost is a 55”x 44” artwork created with black and white acrylic paint. This intention when
making this piece was to not only use line-work as a way of creating an optical illusion but also to
create so much movement that it inevitably made each viewer “get lost” within the painting. Illusions
of movement occur when the way you see something is different from what the object really is. This
happens because there is an error in how the brain interprets what the eyes are seeing. In Let’s Get Lost,
the heart placed in the center is the only place where the viewer’s eyes have a place rest. Surrounding
this stagnant heart, the lines varying in shapes and sizes trick our brain into thinking there is movement
and depth within the painting, whereas, in reality, it is a still artwork.
Inspired by Bridget Riley and her magnificent use of clean lines showing almost no signs of
brushstroke or layout, Let’s Get Lost is only made with black and white and is carefully painted
to show no brush strokes. Riley is known for her incredible talent to mend clean lines, color arrangements,
and overall geometrical precision creating optically compelling visual effects. This same style of
juxtaposition between such flat line-work and depth within Let’s Get Lost is an essential aspect of this
work. My work is also inspired by nature, and the dynamic relationships different natural objects have
with one another. There are optical illusions all around us, Let’s Get Lost is ultimately a combination
between a universally known symbol and an illusion that is given from nature around us.
My intention with Let’s Get Lost is to shape and articulate each environment that it occupies. Similar
to the way Alice and Wonderland takes viewers to an alternate universe, that is how I want this painting
to stand. Viewers should be ingulfed, confused, and forced to stare at it even when it begins to hurt their
eyes. The larger than life scale is a way to catch viewers’ eyes and make them want to continue to look at it.
making this piece was to not only use line-work as a way of creating an optical illusion but also to
create so much movement that it inevitably made each viewer “get lost” within the painting. Illusions
of movement occur when the way you see something is different from what the object really is. This
happens because there is an error in how the brain interprets what the eyes are seeing. In Let’s Get Lost,
the heart placed in the center is the only place where the viewer’s eyes have a place rest. Surrounding
this stagnant heart, the lines varying in shapes and sizes trick our brain into thinking there is movement
and depth within the painting, whereas, in reality, it is a still artwork.
Inspired by Bridget Riley and her magnificent use of clean lines showing almost no signs of
brushstroke or layout, Let’s Get Lost is only made with black and white and is carefully painted
to show no brush strokes. Riley is known for her incredible talent to mend clean lines, color arrangements,
and overall geometrical precision creating optically compelling visual effects. This same style of
juxtaposition between such flat line-work and depth within Let’s Get Lost is an essential aspect of this
work. My work is also inspired by nature, and the dynamic relationships different natural objects have
with one another. There are optical illusions all around us, Let’s Get Lost is ultimately a combination
between a universally known symbol and an illusion that is given from nature around us.
My intention with Let’s Get Lost is to shape and articulate each environment that it occupies. Similar
to the way Alice and Wonderland takes viewers to an alternate universe, that is how I want this painting
to stand. Viewers should be ingulfed, confused, and forced to stare at it even when it begins to hurt their
eyes. The larger than life scale is a way to catch viewers’ eyes and make them want to continue to look at it.
Bio:
Sammy Keane was born in Detroit, Michigan. She started making art in High School in Orlando,
Florida. She is currently working on getting her BFA at Chapman University in the spring of 2020. Her
work as a fine artist is mainly influenced by life experiences that connect to her physical state and
emotions. Keane works mostly in pencil or acrylic paint; however, she has created pieces in all mediums.
She has presented work at SACI (Studio Arts College), OTIS, and Chapman University. Her work is
visible on Instagram (@sammygraceart) and on https://sgkeane.wixsite.com/mysite
Florida. She is currently working on getting her BFA at Chapman University in the spring of 2020. Her
work as a fine artist is mainly influenced by life experiences that connect to her physical state and
emotions. Keane works mostly in pencil or acrylic paint; however, she has created pieces in all mediums.
She has presented work at SACI (Studio Arts College), OTIS, and Chapman University. Her work is
visible on Instagram (@sammygraceart) and on https://sgkeane.wixsite.com/mysite
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