5”x7” oil on canvas board. 2019.
Kerry Law Artist Statement
For years I painting exclusively on site from direct observation, in one session alla prima. My work is about how my experience painting a subject intersects with the painting process. In these paintings I tried to capture a moment on a specific day, and so they are titled with the date of their execution. In this work I felt I had the best of both worlds: while my paintings are no doubt representational, I also want them to work on different levels, creating a dialogue between contemporary painting issues and the history of painting.
Part of my work involves an obsessive serial quality. I am keenly interested in how I may paint the subject matter over and over, and how each time its result is truly unique. While these were painted in one session from direct observation, they also contain elements of memory and invention. This is due to the nature of the subject matter, which is in constant motion.
My current work explores the motif of the cemetery. The work originated in paintings inspired by drawings that were done on-site in various graveyards in and around New York City. It has developed into studio paintings that are purely invented from these profound experiences and studies, and have become increasingly abstract. I see the graveyard as a fertile metaphor, filled with abundant levels of meaning and replete with many truths. The subject matter provides for me the opportunity to consider different modes of painting; I see every painting as a truly unique opportunity to investigate the language of paint, and, ultimately, to explore its history. My goal is to produce work that is engaging on a number of levels without being sentimental.

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