Co|So Exhibitions :: Oana Lauric - Reflective Radiance

The Copley Society of Art is pleased to announce a solo show by artist member Oana Lauric, entitled Reflective Radiance.  A native of Romania, Lauric spent a decade in Paris where she studied and worked as an architect before moving to Boston.  In 2001 she gave up architecture to pursue her passion of painting full-time.  Lauric states, “working as an artist gives me the creative freedom I desired, while my architectural background, as well as personal experiences and the places I’ve lived, inform my art.”

Corso, 42 x 42, acrylic

Lauric’s careful use of abstracted architecture as a visual tool is prominent in her work.  In Corso, she frames the scene with buildings that border the figures, and draw the eye in and towards the road ahead.  The quiet street comes alive with the illusion of movement, as sparkling lights blur and faces rush past.   The glow from the store windows illuminate the street, while towering buildings wrap around the viewer, pushing him further into the space.

Parisians I, 42 x 42, acrylic

In Parisians I, Lauric once again utilizes a background of architecture to make the work more dynamic.  Instead of drawing the eye back into the scene, like Corso, the buildings create a barrier and force the viewer into the foreground, which is presided by a well-lit corner café. The contrast of lights from the café against the dark of the street and night sky, propels the viewer into the bustle of the corner eatery. Lauric invites the viewer to participate in her work, to become part of the unfolding metropolis.

The Paramount, 24 x 24, acrylic

Unlike the majority of the exhibition, The Paramount gives the viewer a fresh perspective on the city via a bird's eye view. The viewer becomes not an active participant in the life of the city, but a voyeur able to experience the world detached and from above. The familiar details of office buildings and sky scrapers are abstracted into lines and blocks of color, distorting the typical cityscape.  The illumination from the sun turns the otherwise cold blue steel into a varying collection of reds and yellows.
 

Lauric's metropolis is thriving, offering a vivid and dynamic escape into the cosmopolitan space. While her streets are filled with movement, the edifices frame and stabilize the scene, inviting the viewer into the space. Lauric will be present at the Copley Society to talk about her work on Saturday, October 27^th from 1:00 – 3:00 pm.  Reflective Radiance will be on view until November8^th.