Artist Statement

I started working on paintings reflecting control and discipline during the Covid-19 pandemic. Painting deceptively simplistic and symmetric symbols satisfied me.

Like an allusive name that pops into my head when I quit trying to remember it, I painted more direct and casual canvases to give me a space to grasp the complexities of control.

Going back and forth from raw brush strokes to carefully measured symbols feeds a deeper understanding of both chaos and order.

As the pandemic eased, so has the way I approach a canvas. Currently I’m really enjoying a more immediate, relaxed attitude of working. When I find myself looking for some allusive solution, I probably will turn back to the discipline of structure.

- Barbara Cosgrove