Olivia Bell

ARTIST STATEMENT

Life moves quickly. The purpose of this series I have created is to capture nostalgia. It focuses on the brevity of life’s phases, namely the college/young adult experience. Its color scheme stems from my own bias of purple being my favorite color and how I have shared this commonality of having purple as a favorite color with influential people in my life. It is also meant to capture the dream-like quality of memories as remembered in hindsight. One such influential person whom I had this commonality with is my paternal grandmother. Towards the end of my high school career, my grandmother passed away. To me her passing not only was a loss, but a sign of the times. The world was shut down because of COVID-19, I was choosing colleges, a new phase was on the horizon. Things seemed to be ending around me. Little did I know, that was only the beginning of a new phase in my life. Although this series is not based on my grandmother or her passing, I view her passing a major shift towards adulthood. This series is dedicated to early adulthood. This phase of early adulthood has flown by. I’ve met extraordinary people and done things I never thought possible. This series captures the memories, feelings, and quickness of the time. It starts as a look back into the past, and ends with a peek into the future. What words cannot express about my experiences as an adult thus far, my art will.

I want viewers to have whatever interpretation they would like of my work, but the goal is to capture nostalgia and happiness. My work is in part inspired by Etel Adnan and Erin Hanson. Adnan’s work inspires me because of her breaking down the landscape into basic shapes. Hanson’s work inspires me because of her use of vivid colors. I have my own style which I incorporate into the paintings by using spray paint in some paintings for vivid colors, and modeling paste to add a 3 dimensional effect for others. Some pieces are more representational than others perhaps the less representational ones capture the feelings behind the memories. It is my hope that my work will continue the conversation about what color and composition can inspire. I want my work to capture my own memories of adulthood thus far, but also cause the viewers to think, reflect, and reminisce.