ARTIST PROFILE

Erica Geralds

  • United States (b. 1969 in Englewood)
  • Currently in United States.
  • It was only four years ago, that I received my BFA in Fine Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology. What I found within that passage of time would change my painting forever.

REPRESENTATION

ARTIST STATEMENT

It was only four years ago, that I received my BFA in Fine Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology. What I found within that passage of time would change my painting significantly. I had succumbed to an overwhelming need to escape my inhibitions when it came to applying paint to canvas. I began to experiment more actively with acrylic inks along with their interaction with other mediums. I was attempting to develop an uncontrolled style of painting that focused on process. The goal was to unveil something entirely primal inside of me to expose a childlike freedom. I wanted it to be something that could be matured and honed even in the process of pouring. As a result the work was evolving into an exploration of fluid movement of colors and textures aligned with a clarity that was not discovered until the completion of a piece. Literally, with the assistance of various pouring containers I cultivated techniques that unfolded these environmentally based paintings. Once a composition had manifested a strong image I sometimes introduce brush work or chopsticks dipped in ink when and where I thought necessary. My choice of palette was the only predetermined factor. With that in mind, each of my pieces that stem from this series titled “NATURE vs. NURTURE” have become my documentation of the earth’s natural ability to flourish under the best of circumstances.

Primarily a painter and  admirer of textiles, I found myself merging the gap between the two disciplines. After a painting is completed, it is then photographed and mirrored so that they take the form of a pattern. By using the mirroring image technique, the focus of my work was transformed. The symmetry, color and organic shapes involved contained a style and appeal that I equate with ornate wallpapering and other areas of textile. Something you might find in a home or garment  that mixes and matches pattern. The symmetry in these pieces for me offer a sense of control and order that was not visible in the initial process of creating them. Ultimately at some point I would like to Incorporate  these fabrics into Home, Interior and Fashion design. I eventually began to use this mirroring process with all of my painting series and I have to say that I am quite pleased with the outcome.