By Angela Romeo
The thing about artists – they draw inspiration from everywhere and nowhere. But every artist acknowledges that their environment plays into their work. Mardi de Veuve Alexis’ inspirations are similar.
“I am inspired by the evolving local urban environment, urbanization as a condition, and contemporary culture. Working for the several years from my Venice studio, I was viscerally impacted by the changing neighborhood and demographics,” noted Mardi. “This is change and evolution, disturbing and exciting at the same time.”
Mardi describes herself as an abstract artist. She experiments with combinations of various media and textural effects, mixing charcoal, ink, pastel, acrylics and collage.
“I don’t have a distinct plan in mind when I start a new project. It’s more important to me to work in the moment and non-objectively. As far as process goes, I allow myself the freedom to express without judgment or boundaries. Thoughts and ideas spill out on canvas, panel or paper. Drawings, layered patterns, shapes, colors and textures are merged, transformed and energized with paint, stained papers or newsprint, Mylar and other materials. Although passionate about color, I often stick to a neutral palette, working with velvety black charcoal, inks, gouache and acrylic paints, with just an occasional surprise of pigment,” stated Mardi.
Abstraction is a nonverbal communication often incorporating the “non” – non-figurative art, non-objective art, and nonrepresentational. And for all the abstract in abstraction there is always a studied chaos that must resonates with the viewer. Mardi’s work resonates. The work has an uncanny ability to capture the human condition. Viewed from a distance one can almost feel the palpable angst of the modern world; viewed close up the work evidences a personal connection between artist and subject.
She describes her technique as means of communication with a tonal palette. Mardi continued, “I strive to communicate beauty and elements of design readily visible in virtually all aspects of everyday life, if only we look.” It is that philosophy that gives the work depth beyond the canvas. Mardi leads the view to a jumping off point. How far the viewer goes is a personal issue.
“As far as process goes, I allow myself the freedom to express without judgment or boundaries. Thoughts and ideas spill out on canvas, panel or paper. Drawings, layered patterns, shapes, colors and textures are merged, transformed and energized with paint, stained papers or newsprint, Mylar and other materials,” said Mardi.
How does the High Desert landscape impact this artist as opposed to the urban landscape? “As far as the influence of the desert landscape on my work, I am inspired by the rich color story of neutrals complemented by incredibly interesting textural elements and natural geometric abstract shapes that both reminds and speaks to our changing global environment-a key aspect of urbanism in today’s world.”
For more information o Mardi’s work visit www.mardisart.com
