Kelsey Birsa
I am fascinated by the idea of consciousness and the connection, or disconnection, that we can feel with our physical selves. Painting the body is my way of processing my experiences of body dysmorphia and perceived physical flaws. It allows me to reconnect with my own body that I at times feel disassociated from. Our bodies are how we experience the world and, though I can never view another person’s experience, painting the vessel allows me a small window to it.
My paintings are united through my use of detailed rendering, bold colors, and gold highlights. Painting realistically allows me to thoroughly know what I am painting. Every time I focus on a new detail or area in my paintings I come to a more complete understanding of it’s form and nature, as I’m painting I think, “Oh! This goes like that”. In my current series I examine how we interact and communicate through our hands, for example texting through a phone in, ‘Touching Reality’, covering a yawn in, ‘John’, or literally putting a hand out in, ‘Cone of Invisibility’.
updated 08/2019
