An interview with Noreen Larinde
Here she talks to Artists Info about her work.
Please describe your artwork style
I am a feminist painter, graphic printmaker and fine art photographer whose images have germinated from 2 major sources: (1) the Italian Renaissance figurative tradition of the human figure totally in command of the self, and (2) the aesthetics of Japanese Zen Buddhism, wherein woman is seen as unknowable through rational processes and can only be glimpsed through the artistic experience, which expresses the interaction between the externals of appearance and the dark, hidden mysterious inner nature of the self. Hence the images are not narratives, as in Italian paintings, but provocations as in Noh Drama, which demand that each viewer project the self and arrive at a personal interpretation.
What is your background?
I have a depth of background in the arts, having received BFA and MFA degrees in Studio Art, as well as a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley and Los Angeles.
How long have you been an artist?
I have been painting from day one, and taking photographs since I started as a Professor of Art History for the California State Universities. As I teach not only Modernist Art History, but also the Cultures of East Asia, with a focus on Japan, I travel to Japan 3 times a year to take photos necessary for my courses. In this way I became a professional photographer out of necessity.
I have developed my artistic career by continuing to paint every week and submitting works to artistic competitions, although with my teaching, I have not had much time to search out galleries. I have an extensive exhibitions record but not a permanent gallery.
Who or what are your biggest influences?
I do not follow artistic trends. I have developed a personal style, although I admit I have absorbed many styles through my extensive study of art history.
Where do you create your work?
I create my art in my personal studio on the property of my principal residence in California, and in my secondary house in the countryside of Umbria, near the city of Montefalco in Italy.
What do you feel is the role of the artist in society?
The artist today, in a society dominated by technology, provides the images which convey this reality and influence all peoples worldwide.
What techniques/mediums do you use?
I paint in high quality Utrecht oils on linen canvas, and create my digital images through my personal photographs modified via Photoshop.
The subject and execution of a work cannot be divided. Both convey the message simultaneously and the viewer needs to see the organization of the canvas, photo or digital image as well as the identifiable image. There can be no separation of hierarchy in the visual arts.
Any current or up-coming exhibitions?
I am now preparing paintings which will be shown this spring in Rome in the Gallery Rossocinebro.
Is there an element of art you enjoy working with most? Why?
The element of art which I enjoy most working with is the human figure.
