ARTisSpectrum Vol.29, May 2013

62 ARTisSpectrum | Volume 29 | artisspectrum.com T he unique acrylic and paper collages of Samantha Perreaz (“SAM”) delve into the mystery and sensuousness of the natural world. SAM pares her work down to a few essential, bold strokes that function across several levels. Each piece has a dramatic three- dimensional structure, varying from collaged relief on canvas to pure sculpture made from paper and wire. She maintains a reduced palette, often using no more than one or two tones and exploring the effect of opposing colors on emotional and compositional movement. It is in subject that this pared-down aesthetic is at its most deceptive. SAM places one carefully chosen image at the center of her frame and invites us to pay attention; to see all the symbolic possibilities within and consider the relevance of the shape to the real world. One work shows the murky silhouette of a woman crawling out of a broken heart; another is simply a collection of beautiful paper poppies, perfectly constructed to be both poetic and strangely uniform. SAM takes organic forms and abstracts them even further, to combine nature’s eloquence with man’s curiosity. SAM was born in France, of Swiss origin, and today lives in Geneva, where she has recently begun to exhibit her work. Rose Noire Acrylic & Paper on Canvas 47” x 39.5” www.swiss-art-modern.com www.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Samantha_Perreaz. aspx Samantha Perreaz “SAM” “M y process,” say s Violette Cici , “begins with choosing an image—one that I love, one that inspires me.” The images that she loves take on many forms, from historical photographs to computer graphics to images framed in such a way that they become abstractions. The artist then performs her personal magic upon those images, using a creatively applied color palette. “I am very sensitive to colors,” she notes, “and I feel the colors in my art allow me to vibrate to another level.” In her work, she achieves a complex balance between color and composition. A historical image will be transformed by a psychedelic color scheme, while other images take on a ghostly appearance by being rendered in black and white. Cici’s giclée prints have such varied inspirations as emoticons and old movies, but they all share a feeling of openness and spontaneity. “The transformation,” she says, “has to be quick, like when you take a photo.” The resulting images mix freedom with a sense of symmetry and proportion, creating a world that brims with the artist’s energy, but leaves the viewer space to find his or her own meaning. “To stay open to others’ realities, to always leave a question mark,” she says, “is part of my message.” LSD Emoticons Divided Giclee Print on Paper 15” x 15” www.theurbangallaxy.com www.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Violette_Cici.aspx Violette Cici