MIA KAPLAN STUDIO for ART, ARCHITECTURE & HISTORIC PRESERVATION
CONSTRUCTIONS (for the time being)
I began these drawings as a way to make the most of quarantine time. They began with “rules” in terms of how many drawings, in what order the process would take place, what mediums would be used…and despite the best laid plans, you know how nature is…I am left with this strange fondness and curiosity about them. These are my first explorations since studying architecture. I’ve started calling them “constructions” (for the time being). They are based on the idea of architectural forms and adopt a language of color and patterns that might reference a physical material or metaphysical energy, delicate lines versus more rigid and controlled lines made with the help of a straight edge or compass. Layers of watercolor, colored pencils, and collage give these drawings a sense of craftsmanship that might translate into the surface of a real or imagined place.
These imaginative findings reveal what I’ve learned in embracing the process of navigating through uncertainty. I’ve found comfort and optimism in being open to the unexpected, in cultivating faith through a creative practice as a sort of rebellion. I started to get excited by the idea that these drawings are showing me a way to reflect upon this time of social and cultural transformation. As each of these took on their own personality, I continued to work with them as they revealed themselves to me, trying my best to document where I started with them and what they taught me along the way.
What did they teach me? Surprisingly, a new way of seeing the lesson I learned by painting out in the woods - that deconstruction becomes the fuel for reconstruction.
- Mia Kaplan, Artist statement. July 8, 2020.
Purchase Inquiries
Some of these works are still available to purchase from Ann Connelly Fine Art.