Natalie Lanese
My work begins as an experiment with the possibilities of
collage on a variety of surfaces or backgrounds. From building
a believable domestic interior on flat areas of color and pattern
to transforming these patterns into geometric landscapes, the
collaged elements create conceptual spaces and immediate
psychological realities. Essential to the work is the scale
relationship between the collaged and the painted elements; this
relationship allows the work to confront ideas of image versus
reality, depth, and depthlessness.
My more recent work abandons collage in the traditional sense
of cutting and pasting and focuses on repeated hard-edged
patterns with manipulated perspective lines. These elements,
usually painted on a two-dimensional surface, have been central
to my painting practice for several years. Historically, collage has
served as a “sculptural” part of my process—pieces that I hold in
my hands and apply to the painted surface. Recently, I have begun
to think about how objects, the space itself, and even viewers of
the work might lend themselves as collage in the overall image.