ARTIST STATEMENT
Every piece begins with a color, or a combination of colors that excite me. I think about color as psychological and cultural. I often incorporate the palette and iconography of my adolescence in a way that is uplifting and playful, with a nod to the electro-pop culture that I grew up in. My favorite colors are those that have been relegated to danger zones and are often kept out of interior spaces having been labeled as “too loud” – bright neon yellows and greens, magentas and pinks. There is an aspect of my creative play which is about pushing boundaries. I use color as a metaphor to carve space for myself and other women to be fully expressed. This aspect of my work makes me feel free and imbues my work with a childlike sense of limitlessness.
As a woman who has survived eating disorders, there was a time when my artwork became a refuge in which to heal my relationship with food, particularly sweets. The paintings that resulted, with titles like “Cake Cake Cake” and “Cupcake Panic Party,” were homages to deeply joyful (however complex) memories of hiding in my closet as a young girl, compulsively eating cake frosting from the tin. I created and worked with color palettes reminiscent of those sweet foods that once made me giddy and offered me emotional refuge. In turn, my artwork grew into a place of refuge and joy, and I was able to let go of my attachment to those sugary things.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Linda Colletta is an abstract artist who has been creating art in various mediums for over 30 years. At 19-years old, she got her start in New York City as a scenic artist painting backdrops for MTV and VH1. After 16 years in the music television industry, she left to dedicate herself to painting full time.
Her work has been shown internationally at The London Art Fair, Scope Miami Beach, LA Art Show, Market Art & Design Hamptons, Uprise Art, Burning Man, The Affordable Art Fair, and The Other Art Fair. Private collections include Principal Financial Group, Google NYC, Justin Bieber, deCordova Museum, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York Presbyterian, 590 Madison and 277 Fifth NoMad. Linda is self-taught and works from her studio in Bridgeport, CT.
© Linda Colletta