​Ivana Liebert, Artist • Liebert Images​ 

IVANA LIEBERT: ARTIST’S STATEMENT

 

For most of my work, I use oil paints. The physicality of oil paint suits my temperament. It dries slowly which allows me to keep interacting with the image, sometimes repeatedly scraping and repainting. It is an unpredictable process, merging the energies of the artist, the image, and the medium. The end result seldom matches my original vision.

 

Sometimes I work directly, looking at the subject, and other times from memory. Either way, I am exploring my interaction with an image. When I am finished with a painting, it goes out to the world to interact with the viewer. My experience and the viewer’s experience of the painting may differ, but it is a type of collaboration at that point—involving the artist, the work itself, and the viewer.

 

Painting is a visual language, and regardless of training, anyone can explore a painting. We relate to images against the background of our own experience. Verbal self-expression is not always possible due to fear, shame and vulnerability, and thus, we speak in images. I believe the Arts (of all types) have the potential for healing, revelation, and personal freedom. I hope my artwork serves this purpose.