Collages
Artwork by Joanne Riina
September 26 – January 9, 2011

Dizzy’s
511 9th Street, Brooklyn

ARTIST’S STATEMENT:
I create visual impressions of landscapes based on realities formed through observations and imagination. My inspiration truly comes from all of the nuances and minute details most people seem to overlook in their daily lives. I believe it is within these particulars that people can relate to one another. As I walk in these settings I escape to a world of my own getting lost in thought. Inanimate objects come to life and the impossible changes into the possible. The somewhat simplistic nature of my work gives it a sense of approachability; however, when looked at closely, the viewer is drawn into my semi-fantastical world made from a blend of painting, drawing, and collage.

All of the collaged materials in each work are from Berlin, Germany, whether they are photographs of buildings or familiar storefronts, drawings based on images, or photographs of the people who live there. Perspective is manipulated to create a visual playground, allowing the eye to move from foreground to background with an inquisitive ease. Drawing is used to outline the form and fluid shape of buildings or people. All of these elements combine to create an open atmosphere, where the viewer is invited to surrender all pre-conceived notions and form a true connection.

BIO:
Today, Joanne Riina lives in Brooklyn, New York where she is an art teacher at the NYC Lab Middle School, while maintaining her studio practice. Her work continues to grow with a slow evolution of form and media, while always staying true to the influences carried from her unique, Italian family to the brilliant young people she works with on a daily basis.