| Lili Artel |
 She
Dances the CosmosInto Being 1988 Mixed Media Enlargement, 44K |
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 Bellydancer
¹1996 Bronze on Wood Enlargement, 18K |
 Cliff
Facade(detail) 1995 Wax on Linen Full Image, 36K |
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I have a background in conventional art, but I turned to this mode of
expression first out of necessity 20 years ago, but then as a creative
challenge.
My art process begins with the materials I choose to use: packaging papers, candy wrappers — worn or wrinkled clothing, velvet, leather — nylon hose — fibres such as lint, wool, cord, twine, rope — odds and ends of metal, plastic, shell, feathers. My intent is to obtain maximum texture. I like to take the functional, the utilitarian and transform it through my imagination — weaving straw into gold. It is believed that the origin of this dance was to prepare women for labor in childbirth. The gesture of the dancer’s veil is a mataphor for the pelvic bone, my favorite bone of all the bones in our elegant skeleton. |
 Light(detail) Acrylic on Canvas |
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 Clouds
& LakeAcrylic on Canvas Enlargement, 17K |
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I create art aiming to communicate with viewers of the future as well as
viewers of today. The combination of symbols, colors, metallics and
messages are contemporary American. In painting I use oils on canvas and
paper in an archival, lasting manner. Bold shapes, Dutch, aluminum and gold
leaf are evident. Sizes of works range from unusually large to small.
A departure from my past symbolic imagery referring to old and new cultures, species and races occurred after a drive through the Yukon into Alaska. My mind and heart were captured. Landscape, always a factor in the work, is now the primary topic. Currently a series in various media, Alaska Journey, is in process. Every work I create has a challenge to myself in it. That challenge may be
the size of the art, the materials used, the colors and their combinations,
the shapes, the symbols and/or the message that I intend to convey. I hope
you will enjoy viewing these adventures as much as I did their creation.
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I interpret these hybrid objects between painting and sculpture in terms of their psychological associations and subconscious musings. I think about art’s potential for beauty and triviality, humor and psychosis. I am interested in creating a tactile relationship of the work to the audience, and I view the work as coalescing phenomena intended to externalize nervous energy, base hungers and irrational ideas. This work choreographs the body with a sort of homespun conceptualism,
representing conditions inwardly visceral rather than something pictorially
representational — formalized syndromes conjuring analogous relationships
to the psyche. |
 Reflections
of a Lily(detail) 1987 Antique & Handpainted Glass Enlargement of full image, 41K |
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 Sea
Otter1992 Antique & Handpainted Glass Enlargement, 21K |
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The beauty of stained glass I find very seductive, often discovering myself
captivated by the fluidity of the glass itself, the intensity of its
colors, and its ever-changing appearance in its interplay with light.
Although stained glass is a time consuming and labor intensive art, it has
held my interest for more than fifteen years.
The subject matter for my glass creations comes from my love of nature and family — whether it be a realistic or abstract depiction. I have often been told that my glass pieces are peaceful and give one a feeling of tranquility — a feeling I endeavor to achieve with every creation. |
