Lecture 2

Critical Analysis

Kendra Larson – Lecture/Exhibition

            Kendra Larson is an artist that currently has an exhibition at our University in one of the galleries in the Church of Fine Arts. The mediums she uses are drawing and painting. Not only is Larson an artist, but also a professor and successful entrepreneur. The work Larson discussed and had shown in the exhibition was comprised of her many beautiful landscape inspired paintings.

            Larson’s work in the exhibit is abstract yet also very familiar and comforting when viewing her painted landscapes. When Larson talked of her work and described the feelings she wanted to feel when viewing the work she said, “Nature is beautiful and helps to slow things down in our fast paced world, and I want them to feel as though they can slow down when they view my art.” To me, this was a very beautiful reason to create art as well as describe the amazing feeling that nature can give us, I appreciate the meaning of her art very much as I also have a love and respect for the environment.

            Larson also explained that her work was very much inspired from Oregon where she had grown up, as well as incorporating unnatural elements, rock formations, and natural formations into her art. Most of her paintings were painted with acrylic on wood. One of her paintings, called, “Ochoco,” uses silicone caulking to create a very visually stimulating piece of art. The silicone is painted in many different and abstract colors for the mountains, with a sky above. Another very amazing piece and perhaps my favorite, was the, “Mt. St. Hellen,” series which was four paintings put side by side in the shape of a square to form one. Not only does it play with texture again in Larson’s style of painting but also keeps her abstract style of art as well. It is Mount Saint Helen a somewhat reflection of the mountain, and is done so well that you cannot help but keep staring at all the detail put into this piece. Another very nice piece which has more blending than the others since Larson used oil on wood, was called, “Forest Park Rhodies.” This is a piece I would personally love to own, it is so beautifully done and gives the calming and slowing sensation that she wants people to feel very successfully.

            I am very inspired with Larson’s work since I am an Art major and Environmental Studies minor. If I were to become an artist this is somewhat the direction in which I would personally like to go. Larson’s work is just the right amount of abstract art in that it does not feel overwhelming like some abstract pieces do, but rather makes it’s audience very much at peace having viewed her art. The use of texture is a very nice feature, which adds a very nice and different quality to her work. Overall, I am very much a fan of Larson’s work. Two questions I would ask her: How does she texture her art so well? And what is her favorite piece she has done, why, and how long did it take her to complete?