My turning to the subject of landscape came from a need to connect with the natural order as a way of healing myself. Adding structures represents my strength growing out of the process as well as the strength of form through the power of the cityscape. I express the life energy of the landscape using gestural brushwork. The gestural freedom is juxtaposed against areas of intricate detailed passages. An atmospheric light quality created with bold color and high contrast gives the paintings a glow that reflect the joyfulness of life, while the darker tones of forms intimate the frustration and anguish in life. All of these elements combine to create a charged sensual image.
As a formal element, rhythmic pattern brings structural organization to the paintings, capturing the pulse of the city. As an artist I am engaged with the historical tradition of pattern painting as it integrates with my own early history. In moving from Czechoslovakia to the Mediterranean and Mideastern influences of Israel, I retained memories of visual patterns – the Persian rugs of my home and of the Czech and Mideastern folk arts. The geography of the landscape has had a profound impact on my life and my work. The patterns of the Los Angeles urban landscape are a powerful influence on my visual geography. Incorporating a border, a window effect, invites my viewer to take an intimate glimpse into my personal world.
