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Blur of a Beating Wing
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2021/07 – July
For artist Laura Moser, the dynamic tension between Order and Chaos lies at the heart of her work.
Laura Moser learned early-on that chaos is a creature that can’t be controlled. You simply deal with it creatively.
How does she do that? She layers chaos with order, each element brushing against the other, until they cement a truce – dark peeking out through the light.
Every so often she figuratively throws her favorite things into a pot: graphics, painting, advertising, Nature. She ladles in icons, myths, romance, grooves, cursive curlicues, folds, reticulates, ridges, textured fabrics, vintage periodicals, fine and fancy papers. She simmers it all down to a fine reduction, then brushes, throws, etches, slaps, flings, slathers, and trowels it onto a huge canvas.
The result is rich, concentrated blocks of neutrals like charcoal, ebony, coffee, chocolate, onyx… with a vein of soothing calm crawling ‘round their corners. She layers again, this time with whites and tans and creams, and then digs, gouges, and presses – letting imagery, intentional or accidental, pop out – the shape of a pan or pot, a pleated dress, or the blur of a beating wing.
It’s physical work, but not in a masculine sense. Her creations are powerfully feminine.
Folded rice paper dresses tell scores of stories.
She says, “This concept is part of the Powerful Women Series. The dresses are made of rice paper which is translucent and beautiful, but also very strong. The dresses symbolize leaders. Emerging from the background are people they represent. In the folds of the dresses are the names of world leaders. The names of women important in the lives of clients can also be inserted in the dresses.”
Laura shifts her imagination from one series to another. One of her favorites is hummingbirds.
She says, “Hummers are small, but they are powerful birds. They’re ferocious and fast, moving forwards, backwards, up, down, sideways. Given their size and weight they appear to defy physics. They are Nature’s tiny miracles and a delight to paint.”
While Laura’s work is more abstract than representational, to her, each painting tells a story. But she prefers her audience to assign their own stories, for those are truly the ones she trusts most.
To see more of Laura’s work visit her new gallery at 40 Burns Street, adjacent to Josephine’s Emporium, in Cashiers. Or see her on Instagram. Visit her Website: lauramoserart.com.
