Rebecca Visger

Fredericksburg Cemetery

Acrylic on Canvas

15 x 30"

$210

Work Currently Displayed at Crossroads Art Center

In such a peaceful and serene environment it an be easy to forget the bloody and shameful legacy the cemetery enshrines. History that both at once feels so far away yet literally surrounds this historic city. Where is the line between acknowledgement and undue honor? How do we draw it?

Artist's Statement: 

My work primarily consists of large, bold paintings. On canvas I prefer the spontaneity and diverse applications of acrylics, and on paper the unpredictability of watercolors and bold contrasts possible with india ink. In each piece I play to the strengths and unique qualities of each medium, pushing my materials even further through experiments with different supports, additives, and mixed media elements. The purpose of my work is to convey intense emotions that are difficult, repressed, or even inappropriate to express in their full fervor. This emotion is depicted through subjects that can be nightmarishly fantastical to scenes of everyday life filtered through a feverish, emotional lens. To capture that intensity l favor an unsubtle approach through vivid, unnatural color schemes with heavy use of teals and oranges, and rough, even three-dimensional textures. My style has a base in realism, but life-like accuracy is second to what best serves the emotional core of the piece. In viewing my work, I intended to incite a reciprocal stirring of emotions in my audience, creating a potent feedback loop.