Natasha Kempers- Cullen

"Crystal Vision"

I have admired the richly sensuous paintings of Gustav Klimt for years and it was his work which inspired me to create CRYSTAL VISION. I did not want to make a picture of "real people," but rather, I wanted to capture a moment, an impression, a feeling.

I think CRYSTAL VISION is like a detail view, a peek into an experience. And the experience is one of bliss, a rare, perfect, magic moment. It is rich. It is like a jewel, a crystal vision. I see the ornate and detailed patterning of Klimt's paintings and that is the atmosphere I wanted to achieve in my own work.
I painted whites over multi-colored fabric, so that the original colors shown through parts of the whites. This created a sense of mystery and of depth.
Then I tore the painting into strips and wove it back together, creating a faceted, grid-like structure (like a cut jewel). Covered with glistening threads and net and glass beads, the piece glitters and sparkles, evoking special moments of crystalline perfection.