Keara Rogers

Ruins of Belle Isle

Oil on Canvas

24 x 30 x 0.7"

$1000

This piece is an amalgamation of the abandoned iron and nail works at belle isle. The bricks are a doorway into an empty lot that was once a workplace. There is a vast contrast between the hardness of concrete and the softness of nature.

Artist Statement: 

My art orbits around abandonment. Throughout my work, I reflect on what it was like to be raised with computers. I recognize how the internet has embedded its way into my everyday life. There’s millions of abandoned domains online that have been forgotten with time. The internet is a time capsule holding memories long after they’ve occurred. This idea has connected me to abandoned buildings. The combination of abandonment and computers creates a sense of loneliness. The feeling is haunting and nostalgic. I utilize oil paint as a timeless medium. I also work with mixed media which enhances the juxtaposition of the digital world and real life. The goal of my artwork is to make the viewer curious. I take them back in time, to a setting that is familiar but unknown. Places that once had life, are now dilapidated and overgrown. I find beauty in progression and decay. I recognize that a burnt down building was once a sturdy structure. Even after that building is destroyed, wildlife still thrives. I incorporate research into my paintings, and with that history, I transform the structures into liminal spaces.