Page 162 - La Biennale di Venezia issue of World of Art Magazine

contemporary artists in la Biennale di Venezia issue VENICE. PALAZZO MORA, ROOM #218 IN THE EXHIBITION OF THE EUROPEAN CULTURAL CENTRE

THE SILENT ROAD, 2019 ACRYLIC ON TYVEK, WOOD ROD 60 FEET X 34 INCHES.

MARIETTA PATRICIA LEIS
Lives and works in Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
https://www.mariettaleis.com/

The Silent Road: The Silent Road is a dialogue between painting
and sculpture. It is a road that leads in two directions, reaching
upward toward the ancient beamed ceiling of the Palazzo Mora
and winding downward to its staircase landing. The Silent Road
was inspired by my time in Iceland during the dark months of the
long Icelandic winter. The treeless, volcanic, landscape revealed
the earth’s curved horizon, confronting me with a stark image of all
that is infinite—both visually and metaphorically. My acute sense
of this fascinating and haunting place provided fertile ground for
germination of The Silent Road.

I have always made art using a variety of mediums, choosing those
that best serve and amplify my intentions. For The Silent Road,
graphite painted on Tyvek ™ (a paper-like plastic sheeting used
to insulate houses) evoked the shimmering darkness of Iceland’s
volcanic rock. I hand burnished the graphite until it radiated
that luster. Thus, the Tyvek ™ is magically transformed, as old
traditions meet modern technologies on The Silent Road.

My handwork has traced every inch of surface on The Silent
Road, marking a path and leaving a record of my artist’s journey
for others to follow. The Road’s reductive surface texture offers
hidden complexities for the viewer to ferret out—an opportunity
to engage with the work without straining to understand it—simply
traveling The Road with me for a journey in silent contemplation.

In today’s noisy world, we can become distracted, numb to our
deepest natures. The road to authenticity is by its very nature
traveled in solitude. It is an internal road that, with patience, can
lead deep into the core of our being. As we each embark on the
journey to this rich and fertile place, we can discover a common
thread of the shared humanity that binds us.

My intention is for my art to be palpable, transmitting a sensation
of adventure, beauty and peace. I invite you to travel the
undulating Silent Road—welcoming your own perceptions and
experiences.

162 WORLD of ART