Nancy Rodrigo

Forest Life

Medium:

Painting

Artist Statement:

Since 1981 I have utilized many mediums to express my visions of alternative worlds. As primarily an oil painter, I have explored old master technique, acrylic and watercolors. My early work was done in oils and expressed coming out as a married lesbian mom at age 25. Some paintings are bright and vaginal in imagery, other work is of ornately dressed Tudor dressed white women, wandering dark empty halls of a castle. It’s a flip on the princess archetype; about women’s isolation, fear and oppression.
In the 1990’s I became fascinated with found objects, and created a body of work, that is homage to the 20th century. Using antique photographs, I built compositions with paints, drawing and objects, like weaving a tapestry. These pieces are constructions of wood and mounted on canvas. The work explores family dynamics, Feminism, LGBTQ/gender issues, illness, war and climate change.
Since 2010 I have been using watercolors to explore biomorphic imagery and interconnectedness of living organisms, microscopic life, and forms I find in Prospect Park. My art practice has been informed by my daily walks in the park. I’ve been living in Park Slope since 1991, and the park has been a source of healing and inspiration for me. These images speak to our own physiology and how we are interdependent and symbiotic with all life on our planet and universe.