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541.787.4395 (Pacific Time Zone) kristen@kristenoneillart.com

Artist Statements

Click on the corresponding series to see the artist statement for each series. 

 

Artist Statement: Larger Work

at the edge, painting Oregon Coast Trail
©Kristen O’Neill, At the Edge, Acrylic on Canvas, 40″ x 40″, painted from @girlinwaterphotography

It is outrageous to be a landscape painter in contemporary art. I like that.

I paint from photos taken on hikes and posted on Instagram. With a hiker’s permission,  I create large, aggressive paintings. Instagram is quick, impermanent, trendy, and cheap. Painting from such a source explores the assumptions that we make of value, size, importance, and permanence.

Placing the viewer in an unconventional position, I force the liberation from centuries of idyllic landscapes. The painting holds the viewer in close proximity to a moment and location, to generate a connection that would otherwise not be forged. The viewer is then able to experience the personality of the place, moving past the triteness of a landmark.

– Kristen O’Neill