Anne LaFond

Artist Statement

Through painting, printmaking, and interactive public art, I explore the intricate tapestry of life, capturing moments that reflect the profound impact of large-scale global tensions on a deeply personal scale. By intertwining these two distinct narratives, I aim to raise awareness and foster dialogue about the larger social and economic inequities of our society. I hope to ignite conversations about the interconnectedness of our shared human experience and the potential for positive change through collaborative action.

Influenced by German artist and printmaker Kathe Kollwitz (1867-1945) and other printmakers from Goya to Otto Dix, Jose Posada and others, printmaking plays a central role in my practice. In "Necessary Perspectives," an ongoing series of monotypes, I seek to communicate the mutable character of our present reality, the history that it embodies, as well as the forces which are reshaping it – be they climate related or driven by the political struggles that play an ever increasing role in our lives.

As an artist, I am likewise committed to making art accessible as part of the daily life of our community. To accomplish this, I’ve maintained my studio in a storefront – first in Brooklyn for seven years, then relocated after the pandemic to Newburgh, NY. My Window Studio has served as both a workspace and a collaborative site where I have painted portraits of those who have come in to speak with me, incorporating their lived histories – as they have shared them with me – together with broader social and political narratives, often overlaid as reflections in windows.

My preferred medium for portraits is the traditional technique of representational oil paint, which I studied at the New York Academy of Art for my masters. Having my palette and easel set up in the window invites passersby’s curiosity and serves as a departure point to discuss art and art-making more broadly. Over the past twelve years, I’ve created multiple collaborative portraits based on these interactions.

In addition to collaborative portraits, I’ve exhibited other work at Window Studio to broaden interactions and invite dialogue, often about challenging subjects. My work has included "Angel," (2024-ongoing), a large (7.5 ft x 5 ft.) oil-on-canvas painting collaged with newsprint and the text of Palestinian poet Refat Al-Areer's poem "If I Must Die" in Arabic, Hebrew and English. Like Al-Areer's poem, I intend the painting to build hope and to offer a forum for people to come together to construct the way forward. Viewers have added their own responses to the collage and restrung the string emphasizing our interconnectedness.

Other work which has elicited a lively response has been my current project, "Dialogue with Kollwitz," inspired by the work of German artist and printmaker Kathe Kollwitz (1867-1945). Each of these six large ink-on-Tyvek drawings incorporates elements of a Kollwitz print, bringing the struggles against poverty, oppression, and war which she so powerfully depicted in her day, into our present context. My drawings were on view as part of the nationwide "Fall of Freedom" exhibits held on November 21, 2025 to unite in defiance of authoritarianism and dictatorship.

Through the creation of what I call “collaborative portraits” and the interactions elicited by my paintings, ink-on-Tyvek drawings and monoprints, I develop our collective, multi-faceted cognition of life.