April Marshall

By observing the nuances that can be found in organic materials, I create oil paintings that blend the distinction between representation and the abstract. I collect and document found materials that I magnify and study. Wrinkled banana peels, small containers of mold, fermenting bread, and bruised flower petals are a few examples of my trove of inspiration. These objects are seemingly mundane, yet each is deeply specific in their own unique presentation.

The way that time transforms ordinary organic objects speaks to the nature of creation, but also inevitable destruction. As these subjects reach the end of their life cycle they are often discarded. For me, the way these objects decay is the beginning of a journey that is nuanced, strange and captivating. I am interested in asking myself what the relationship between organic materials is to the human body and its flesh. I am interested in the temporal, and catching moments of various stages of transformation is an access point into the transient nature of existence. As I observe these objects and paint them, I begin to combine and abstract various textures and perspectives. The familiar rind of an orange is suddenly made strange by its juxtaposition with the sagging flesh of a person's back. The surface of my paintings seduce the viewer with realism and precision, while also unsettling our expectations of beauty and the grotesque. These unexpected combinations turn small moments of degeneration into experiences with the uncanny. Ultimately, these experiences are a chance to reanimate the detritus of our everyday lives, exposing us to the drama of life and mortality playing out all around us in startling, fascinating ways.