Laura Malone: Bodies of Water, Bodies of Light

Bay Area painter Laura Malone unveils “Bodies of Water, Bodies of Light,” an evocative exploration of feminine subjectivity. These works probe the psychological themes of friendship, self-relationship, and the body as a wellspring of joy and depth. Figures fluctuate between transparency and solidity, merging with their surroundings or standing apart, reflecting themes of intimacy and belonging. Water – along with her lush and lively brushwork – engulfs and penetrates the figures, acting as a metaphor for connection to others, nature, and inner life. Layered over her figures, water also evokes the shield between ourselves, the viewer, and our experience. This ambiguity, like the many layers of paint, invites us to consider the complex emotions that relationships contain. Yet these women “of a certain age” rise above these concerns, now liberated from societal expectations as well as their own. Children also feature in Malone’s work, symbolizing discovery and innocence amidst watery depths and evoking the feminine impulse to nurture. “Bodies of Water, Bodies of Light” is a captivating journey through the feminine spirit, celebrating the essence of being alive and the beauty found therein.

Born in Tucson, Arizona, Laura Malone grew up in a family of artists. Like her uncle, artist Richard Artschwager, she received her first art lessons from her grandmother Eugenia, a Ukrainian immigrant painter with deep roots in Russian art patronage. Malone has studied under renowned artists including Janine Antoni and Alex Kanevsky. Residencies include The School of Visual Arts, New York, and a virtual residency with Mira Schor. Malone co-founded Art’s Pupils, a forum dedicated to discussing contemporary female artists. Her paintings have been shown across the US and internationally, including The Crocker Kingsley National Art Competition, Sacramento, California and “Disrupted Realism,” curated by John Seed Buckham Gallery, Flint, Michigan. She currently exhibits at Mercury 20 Gallery in Oakland, California and is also represented by The Studio Shop Gallery in Burlingame, California. She lives and works in Oakland.

September 13 – October 19, 2024
Gallery Hours: Fri + Sa, 12 – 5 pm
Artists’ Reception: Sat, September 14, 4 – 6 pm
Oakland Art Murmur / First Friday: October 4, 5 – 9 pm
Oakland Style Week Event: Friday, October 4, 12 – 5 pm

Image: Laura Malone, Gathering Darkness, Gathering Light, 2024, acrylic and oil on copper panel, 28.25″x 54″, photo courtesy of the artist