RUBY CASCARINA

ARTIST STATEMENT

How Long Is a Piece of String? series

My work articulates feelings of the sublime; the simultaneous wonder and dread evoked by the world’s perplexing vastness. I layer translucent washes of oil paint until imagined landscapes emerge that mimic the natural world but appear more fantastical, using exaggerated, unnatural colours and harsh contrasts between light and dark. Within each scene is a small, featureless figure, consumed by its surroundings. Without close inspection the figure may be overlooked by the viewer, reflecting that on an individual scale each of us are ultimately insignificant within the context of the universe, a reality that is both freeing and daunting. The figures carry a piece of thread that travels through the landscapes, offering slight relief from their isolation and reminding us that our lives continue in spite of this truth. In creating portals into worlds that are familiar but otherworldly, I invite viewers to reflect on the phenomenal and inexplicable nature of the world we are accustomed to, and to create meaning in the face of meaninglessness.

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rubycascarinaart