Elizabeth Bruno

Learning Long Division
Learning Long Division
36 x 24 in.

I identify with the tenor of fairytales in which it is often children, at the mercy of cruel overlords, who prevail in the end by their wits, cunning and bravery. The stories of the Brothers Grimm and other slightly macabre folktales are delicious bits of the common culture. I borrow that tone and add some humor, oddity, and mystery to the vignette. In this work, I am exploring themes of innocence and vulnerability. My imagery often includes children, flowers, small animals, or other beings perceived to be defenseless. Although I feature the fragile in my work, it is the inner strength and quiet determination that attracts me.My painting is a marriage of both ordered and random mark making. I work with pattern, abstraction, and repetition to surround, interact with, and enhance the figure. I often use text and titles to amplify the imagery. In the studio my process is as much subtractive as additive. I sand down or partially cover work t o leave a historical record for the viewer to scrutinize. As each piece progresses, the original plan may only survive briefly. The first few marks can alter the course and then the process itself determines the next step. Drawing is a compulsion and is foundational to the work. I prefer my images to show my hand rather than be too refined. I am spellbound by the stationary image in this era of the transitory.