Niya Sisk
The Girl Series
The Girl Series is about missing information in childhood that becomes shadows and longings as an adult. In each painting there are spaces and gaps that equal the weight of what's missing. Whether it's a canyon between the Girl and her ancestors, or her clothing that's left on the ground near her dog who has passed on, or her posture standing at the axis of family and farm life, watching her shadow self have it all. What is clear is a world full of bold color and form but the puzzle not fitting together.
Color acts as form, the canvas acts as place, and beauty acts as the driving force of inspiration.
I'm interested in beauty as an act of truth. I'm interested in how beauty in our culture seems to be a candidate for the endangered species list. And how willing when we allow it, beauty is to come out and play - how easily form, line, color and the sensuality of the paint finds it's little pool of stillness and perfection.
I paint in themes - narrative. I don't use brushes. I find that I get to the core of the subject much more easily without them and I enjoy the intimacy with the work that is helped by not using brushes.
I react to color as though it is a form being sculpted. I've come to appreciate texture as the webbing, the undertow of feeling in the painting. The content exists through my response to the formal elements and their relationship to one another.
The act of painting is content enough for me.
