Katrina Lasko

I use unusual or recycled materials in addition to traditional ones, working in painting and sculpture. An idea comes first, then the vision/emotion that translates to the medium; the artwork comes before the language.

A secretiveness in my work forces us to look for layers of meaning. We can untangle a meaning, or not. It is not essential because my goal is to find grace in unusual materials, and to make art that is beautiful. Looking deeper, beneath the beauty lies a message which is often not so pretty.

My unwillingness to accept a particular description as an artist is a way to maintain a sense of autonomy and vitality in my work—of being “in-between.” Some people expect that you should make the same kinds of art forever because it creates a convenient narrative. I want my work to embody my inherent contradictions. “The sheer bigness of the world makes me feel lonely to the bone. The world is so huge that people are always getting lost in it. There are too many ideas and things and people, too many directions to go. I believe that the reason it matters to care passionately about something is that it whittles the world down to a more manageable size.” (from The Orchid Thief)