With her “Nights” series, Alexandria Tarver recontextualizes the traditional floral motif into a space between memory, idealization, and presence. Her process begins with a ritualistic evening walk around New York City and its rich palette of colors. Tarver photographs the subject, creates a preliminary composition in pencil on paper, and renders it in oil, employing various techniques from across art history. The lapis and cerulean blue ground of her primary layers capture the electric color of twilight, sometimes shifting into an evening haze or sinking into a deep purple-black. Tarver’s formal repetition becomes a grounding force that reflects the rhythm of day-to-day existence. For the artist, these images become a guiding framework, a reflection on long nights, and a solace that helps her navigate fear, pain, and sorrow.
Alexandria Tarver
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