Elizabeth Gahan

Places of residence: San Diego, California; Santa Barbara, California; Barcelona, Spain; Los Angeles, California; Seattle, Washington (current)

Artist Residency, Banff Centre, Alberta, Canada
MFA, Claremont Graduate University, California, USA
BA, University of California at Santa Barbara, California, USA

Some Ideas

My artwork explores the various ways in which people construct culture. I use architectural imagery and mixed media to portray how humans fabricate their physical surroundings using raw materials that are then contextualized with cultural and ideological significance. These structures impact our experience of everyday life, as well as become landmarks for future generations to consider.

I approach this investigation by portraying both well-known architecture in contrast to commonplace structures with a particular eye on the tangled relationship between the natural and human-made environment. My artistic process utilizes digital technology alongside hands on painting techniques referencing current trends in technology, mass media, mass marketing and socio-political exchange. The imagery created intentionally blurs the line between personal experience/public space, natural/synthetic environments, and local/global culture. My main interest is creating art that captures a nuanced vision of the complex, beautiful and troubled world in which we live today.