Elizabeth Gahan: On Second Thought
Seattle-based artist Elizabeth Gahan revisits her roots in LA with her series On Second Thought. The collection of dreamy, vibrant paintings explores the relationship between the man-made environment + nature while also depicting the variety of architecture styles found here in the city. We caught up with Elizabeth on her LA paintings, viewing the city through fresh eyes + contemporary urban environments. The series will be on view at George Billis Gallery in LA through March 28.
Asymmetric Magazine: We love your On Second Thought series. Can you tell us the story behind it?
Elizabeth Gahan: For several years, I've been doing paintings that focus on the explosion of urban growth in Seattle called the ‘Boom Series’. I began to see similarities in the experience of rapid urban growth and change between Seattle and Los Angeles, which pointed to an even broader national trend. It seems like a significant aspect of what is happening in the country today, and I began to think about doing an LA-specific show on this topic. However, as I began to plan this body of work, I found I was much more interested in the idea of how the character and essence of ‘Los Angeles’ is surviving and flourishing despite the influx of construction and development. It is a more hopeful and soulful approach to examining the growth of the city. With this in mind, I found that in some cases, like downtown LA, the urban changes of the past decade has helped make some of the history and architectural details more readily visible and enjoyable, aspects which previously may have been overshadowed by a rougher environment. I looked at the way buildings have been re-imagined like in Coffee & Tattoos to make them fresh and interesting again. Mostly, I wanted to capture the vibe of Los Angeles in a way that is unique to Southern California neighborhoods, so there are is also a lot of attention paid to residential architecture.
AM: As a Seattle-based artist, what compelled you do a series on LA initially?
EG: I'm originally from Southern California. I grew up in San Diego and often went to Los Angles for art museums and shows. I completed my MFA at Claremont Graduate University. But I have been in Seattle for over ten years. Creating a show for LA both feels like coming home and being a visitor to a familiar place at the same time. I tried to use this sense of separation from the city to see the city through fresh eyes and a new perspective, but I also naturally gravitated to places and neighborhoods I've always enjoyed or have been meaning to revisit. I was very aware of personal history influencing the direction of the artwork and the show.
AM: You mentioned your work explores contemporary influences on urban environments. Can you speak to that a bit?
EG: We live in such a ‘hyper-real’ world today. From Photoshop to social media, we constantly see images of life that are presented in the most enhanced, saturated and curated way. It can be both beautiful and unnatural. I think that this impacts the way we see the world, the way we define beauty and our expectations of how things should look. I use saturated colors and densely curated compositions the lend themselves to these contemporary expectations of beauty. In this way I am creating a style of landscape painting that captures this current moment in time. I also think the relationship between the built environment and nature is one of the most important topics of our time. All my compositions incorporate a combination of architecture and nature. It is more beneficial to think of our urban environments as transient urban eco-systems that need intentional consideration to be balanced and healthy, rather than seeing buildings as permanent, immovable things. In this way, I begin each painting with a watery bubble background that looks as if it could move and change at any time. The effect is delicate and fluid. The buildings are often semi-transparent as if not fully formed and capable of change. Personal homes are rendered with a wood-burning technique embracing a hand-crafted feel that is malleable. Conversely, the foliage and water are thick, solid blobs of intense color, both capable of overrunning the built environment, while at the same time saturated palates used throughout depict natural and artificial environments as extensions of one another.
the relationship between the built environment and nature is one of the most important topics of our time.
AM: Do you have a piece out of the series that you resonate with most?
EG: It's always hard to pick a favorite painting. I think each painting in On Second Thought contributes to an aspect that is important to the broader conversation and vibe of the show. I do want to call attention to Coffee & Tattoos because it is the least recognizable location, yet it captures this notion of re-envisioning urban spaces. This outdated building is remade into a cool, new, and eclectic space. That seems very representative of urban trends and the resilience of the city.
AM: How does this series compare to your other painting series?
EG: The broader aesthetic and themes of these paintings are very much an extension of previous bodies of work. However, this show is very specific to LA as reflected in the imagery and color scheme choices. In addition, with this body of work, I'm more aware of my personal perspective and experiences playing a role in selecting the specific imagery for the show and developing the show's narrative. My personal perspective is always present in my work, but in this case, I have such a personal history in the region and that felt more present in the art making process.
AM: And you do installations, too, right? How does your painting style parallel your installation work?
EG: For my installation art, I am motivated and inspired by similar questions of relationships between natural and constructed environment, architecture and advertising, personal experience and public space, as well as organic and hard-edge forms. However, with the added process of considering building materials, public spaces, specific audiences, and working on existing structures, the installation art manifests in a very different way. I no longer portray architectural imagery, since I am already working in the context of the built environment, so I rely more on creating forms that reference both nature and the build environment. I let my painting practice and installation art evolve independently, but they still inform one another.
AM: Do you have a preferred medium?
EG: I find that introducing a new material is a great way to challenge my art process so that the artwork is always changing. I'm very material motivated in the sense I think a lot about how to manipulate materials, what is uniquely possible with each material and how different materials impact the meaning of the artwork. Even so, when painting, I gravitate to acrylics with so many options for thickness and texture. For installation art, I look for materials with an architectural, almost a ‘building-block’ quality.
AM: We're a music magazine, too, so we love to ask visual artists: What music are you into right now?
EG: With music, I'm all over the place. At the moment when I need an energy boost, I like to play Lizzo. Her sound makes me feel in charge and capable. My default is always some David Bowie.
AM: What can we expect to see from you next after this show?
EG: I'd like to pursue more paintings in this body of work. I have many more images prepped for paintings that I haven't done yet. I will also be installing a large-scale, 17' high, painted metal sculpture at a new park in north Seattle later this year.
View more of Elizabeth Gahan’s work at elizabethgahan.com.
