Diana Kohne

Region: Pacific Coast

Website: http://www.dianakohne.com

City / State: Shadow Hills, CA

My paintings reflect urban Los Angeles, paying particular attention to the city’s unique light and to its environmental artifacts that appear to be from a passing technological age. I produce landscapes and still lifes based on forms and compositions I find while driving or walking through the city. Recurring elements in my work seem like industrial relics. Objects such as air-conditioning vents, electrical masts, firehose hookups, and power lines might generally be overlooked, screened-out of awareness, and dismissed as worthless, yet they remain an integral part of daily life.

Gouache is a flat paint that texturally feels like the city’s overexposed, dusty, baked exteriors. Using counterintuitive color combinations and India ink, I find focus in the clutter of urban sprawl, which I have come to see as beautiful and venerable.