LAURA MALONE: BODIES OF WATER,BODIES OF LIGHT

September 13 – October 19, 2024

Artists’ Reception: Saturday, September 14, 4 – 6 pm

Oakland Art Murmur / First Friday: October 4, 5 – 9 pm

Oakland Style Week Event: Saturday, October 12, 12 – 5 pm

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.