L A R A   N I C K E L

My work is about how the physical space of the viewer interacts with the pictorial space of a painting. This interaction often creates a level of awkwardness, but it is this discomfort which keeps my paintings from becoming simply decoration and the wall simply a place to decorate. I want my paintings to activate the spaces they are in, making the surrounding architecture play an active role in the viewer's experience. In this regard, it is not always effective or appropriate for a painting to proclaim itself, to state its presence at eye level on the wall, or to even be seen by anyone - as tradition and expectation would suggest.