Susan Rollins

Artist Statement

Landscape, whether real or imagined, is a constant in my work; it is layered with meaning, figuratively and literally. Fleeting moments, changing weather, and shifting scenes invite exploration and reflection, suggesting alternate or concurrent states of weather, literal or emotional.

Love is a landscape filled with beauty and unexpected weather. The familiar places we travel to echo the comfort of the intimacy and deep connection we feel with a loved one, as the excitement of a new destination echoes the thrill of the unknown as we embark on a new relationship. There are fleeting moments of change and ambiguity but love is rooted and resilient.

​Expanding on traditional landscapes with fractured views, these scenes reflect a prism of modern experience, finding visible and invisible connections. I am exploring the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world, the fragility and beauty of our environment and our wayward stewardship of our home and ourselves. Blurring the boundaries between humanity and nature, I am interested in the intangible and unexpected, creating psychological spaces that feel simultaneously familiar yet surreal, bridging the gap between reality and fantasy. With layered brushwork and ghosts of previous decisions apparent, these narrative constructions are intentionally ambiguous.

The act of painting, reworking and refining things is a meditation on impermanence and the importance of learning from the past. Painting is a representation of what I observe, and an expression of what I am experiencing, connecting the world I inhabit with the world that inhabits me.