GAMBINO
ARTIST & EDUCATOR
STATEMENT
My work is inspired by the human impact on the natural world and the destructive force of time on built environments. Devoid of humans but packed with remnants of their existence, my paintings employ a collage aesthetic with dissonant modes of description, from naturalistic depictions of nameable forms to emotionally-charged abstract mark making. The result is an abstract space where obscurity and specificity collide, invention overpowers reality, and color distorts familiarity.
Contradictions within the urban environment become evidence of the inequality within my community and can easily be mapped back onto societies around the world. I aim to depict uncanny yet familiar scenes to explore the deteriorating human conditions within post-industrial cities.
BIOGRAPHY
elyse GAMBINO is an artist and educator based in Lansing, Michigan. While her studio practice is concerned with oil painting and digital collage, her teaching includes foundations in drawing and design, life drawing, art appreciation and theory as well as painting.
Gambino received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Craft, with a concentration in Drawing and Painting from the Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2009. She received her Master of Fine Arts Degree, with a concentration in Painting from Michigan State University in 2017.