Laurie Hoen

We'll Get There Together

48 x 48 x 1”, framed to 49.5 x 49.5 x 1.75"

Oil on Panel 

$7125

From wildfires to floods, climate change is reshaping life on Earth. The crisis knows no borders. Rising sea levels, unpredictable storms, damaging heatwaves, poor air quality--these challenges affect us all. No nation can address the crisis alone. The need for international cooperation is great.

Artist's Statement:

I am a storyteller at heart. My art is idea driven, combining simple, easy to read images that, when layered symbolically, add meaning to each other. I combine elements of still life, landscape, and allegory, raising questions about social and environmental issues. Visual puzzles to be solved, allegories depend on both insight and suggestion. Peering into a setting of familiar objects that reflect our own history, we consider our experience in the context of the social commentary and current events which animate the objects. Layered conceptually, like a complex chord, these visual stories present what people may not wish to see--questions about who we are, who we want to be, and what stories we want to author.

My practice unapologetically embraces a traditional language of representation in art, while simultaneously engaging in contemporary conceptual conversations. I celebrate the beauty of light and form in a painting style that leans toward my love of realism, but still maintains the character of a painterly brushstroke. I weave historical and cultural symbolism, social science, and references to current events into my work, inviting interpretations that shift depending on who is looking and how deeply, balancing cautionary tales with opportunities for optimism.