L.J. SULLIVAN

Artist Statement

I lay down a tarp and gather materials to explore the innocent edges of human experience.   Ideas, realizations, inspirations sift into the artwork. I like it best when my creations make me smile, like I am sharing a secret joke with anyone who looks.

BIO

Born in the heartland, LJ Sullivan grew up in a practical family that did not support the idea of a fine arts career. By majoring in Psychology, she was able to smuggle in enough art and philosophy to earn a double minor as well. She authored a paper demonstrating how major philosophical movements are illustrated by the visual arts of the same period.

As a young adult, she sought out first person experiences of global art. Enthralled by the Middle Eastern aesthetic, she traveled through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.  Later she was drawn to the implicit storytelling and acknowledgement of nature found in Chinese panels, the simplicity of the little marble figures from the ancient Cycladic culture, and the transcendent nature of Balinese village dance, music, and theatre.

With Southern California as a home base, Sullivan continued to travel and produced short films.  A serious illness eventually shifted her trajectory. She pulled her studio art practice out of the closet and into exhibits. To her surprise, her work won awards. ,

 The Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture selected her for a 6 month workshop   gearing artists for public art commissions. She is currently collaborating on a project for a park in North Carolina.

 Her recent studio practice is influenced by animation, particularly the Japanese Studio Ghibli.

 

CONTACT: wwae77@gmail.com

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