Laura Owens

Laura Owens was born in 1970 in Euclid, Ohio, and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. She is a highly versatile painter whose extremely personal language remains a combination of abstract elements and representations drawn from art history. The artist's body of work consists of large-scale paintings that bring to life pleasant natural scenes, where elements of fantasy converge through an expressive, seemingly simple naïf language.

In her large canvases, Owens freely composes true narratives, where space plays a dominant role. With strong color contrasts and a palette reminiscent of Matisse, she elegantly stages moments from daily life. Her "landscapes" captivate viewers with their original style, inviting further observation and provoking an explosion of joy and pleasure.

In the case of the work included in the Iannaccone collection, the large painting Untitled, created in 2000, allows one to gaze upon an intimate scene in which two young lovers are on the verge of falling asleep. The painting exudes a cultivated yet childlike poetics, where simple figuration intertwines with the use of voluptuous hues in brushstrokes that are at times delicate, at other times incisive. The true subject of the work appears to be the stark contrast between reality and fantasy. "Paintings should fit into your life," the artist states. "I believe I borrowed this idea from Mary Heilmann and her working method. I met her, and she left a profound impression on me. Despite her great professional seriousness, she has a very relaxed approach to painting."