Lisa J. Grossman
Gallery Affiliations: Stecker-Nelson Gallery, The Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs, Haw Contemporary, Circa Gallery
Region: West
Website: http://lisagrossmanart.com
City / State: Lawrence, KS
When I moved to Lawrence, Kansas, in 1996, I discovered that the
Kansas River (or Kaw) was practically in my backyard, and I began
exploring its levees and trails, paddling and painting from the few
sites that afforded a view.
In 2002, I had the opportunity to see the Kansas River from an
airplane, and began flying the 171-mile river valley with local
pilots to gather research footage in photography and video.
The paintings are studio works in which I refer to my aerial footage
to convey the ceaseless sweep and thrust of carving river currents
and sand, the turnings of day and season, and the movement of
the plane circling and crossing over, tracing the prairie waterway.
Searing glimpses grip me, and flashes of light fuel my visual
investigations. I want to express a sense of movement and deep
time anchored by the enduring prairie horizon.
This prairie river challenges me to engage more deeply with place
and to experience it from shoreline, sandbar, air, and kayak. The
Kaw’s windings continually lure me into a process of discovery.