In the dance of life, nothing is static…

Everything is in perpetual—and perceptual—motion, as artist Carin Gerard reveals in her compelling and influential work. The California-based, contemporary realism painter has intentionally shifted into a deeper, moodier and enigmatic quality that embraces shadow as much as it does light. The result is more vivid, thought-provoking and sexy. Her latest series offer a visual embrace of nature’s cycles, surrendering to the flow of time and evolution. Gerard finds harmony and agency in recognizing our interconnectedness with nature and the eternal sequence of renewal. 

Gerard’s “Written Word” series challenges differing lenses of perception. She began these pieces by using her late mother’s poetry, which at times felt heavy, though she seamlessly finds counterbalance through the multidimensional nature of her process. Her mother drew inspiration from Bob Dylan’s lyrics, “Behind every beautiful thing there’s been some kind of pain,” which Gerard’s undeniably communicates through her florals. This series is an expansion of her typical creative methodology: multiple flowers are manipulated and photographed to form the composition, with a multicolored imprimatura, followed by text written in wet paint to accentuate the textured surface. In addition to her mother’s poetry, Gerard uses culturally relevant text from AI and other sources to illustrate the interplay of dark and light, pain and joy, unresolved passions and fulfilled dreams. The words are not a literal expression of sentiment; sometimes they are visible and legible, though often they are imperceptible. 

In the “Gem” series, Gerard provocatively showcases the three-dimensional essence of the flowers by intentionally stepping out of her comfort zone. The tones and textures feel less traditional, and thus to her, more interesting. The “Gem” series, specifically, engages the viewers sense of the magical and fantastical, with oversized florals and colors that provoke the imagination and almost demand reverie or daydreaming. The viewer perceives the floral, but is challenged by its presentation. “I was motivated to paint the unexpected,” Gerard explains. “I placed the flowers in an uncomfortable way, falling off of the canvas rather than centered on it.” “Gem” is the unequivocable display of Gerard’s pursuit to expand the expectation—and perception—of contemporary realism paintings. She states, “This process has certainly provoked new feelings in me, and I hope that translates to the viewer. I am continually interested in bringing a contemporary lens to this classic genre.” 

Photography + Artwork on this site: All Rights Reserved.
Fine Art Photography by Christopher Broughton
Studio Photography by Christy Gutzeit and Heidi Bassett Blair
All Process Videos edited by Eric Lee Cummings at In Bloom Films
Text by Holly Richmond, Ph.D.