Laria Saunders
![]() dimensions variable; digital photo assemblage painting on phone; 2019 Laria Saunders STATEMENT I am digital artist that collects my palette from the streets and assembles multiple layers by blending them with a smartphone or tablet. I use bits and pieces of original texture photos such as an aging wall, a splatter of paint on the street, or a weathered color on a building. Unlike traditional collage, the source material is often hidden in order to create a painterly look. The process is similar to décollage, with many layers that are built up following an extraction or unmasking process. Each piece contains 4 to 200 texture photos that can take several hours to several months. The work is primarily abstract with some figurative and series pieces and also includes animated paintings. I incorporate integral philosophy, transformation from pain and the process of creation, The central column seen in a lot of paintings references humanity’s evolutionary, creative drive that powers a constant forward movement of “what’s next.” The column is also personal and mirrors my own willpower to endure and transform chronic illness/pain. BIO I am self-taught and influenced by a family of artists and performers on both sides. I am represented by Octavia Art Gallery (New Orleans) and ArtLifting (Boston). Collectors of my work include: Amazon, Google, Microsoft, WarnerMedia, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. I am a former dancer/photographer from Boston, New York and Los Angeles and I currently live in central Mexico. I began digital collage in 2012 in order to stay creative while mostly bedridden or confined to a dark house. The small emitting light screen of the phone was the best option given Multiple Sclerosis, daily migraine and many other painful conditions. This technology is perfect for those of us limited by our bodies, I’m just scratching the surface of this exciting contemporary art form. ARTIST CONTACT [click to email] IMAGES ![]() dimensions variable; digital photo assemblage painting on phone; 2023 ![]() dimensions variable; digital photo assemblage painting on phone; 2018 ![]() dimensions variable; digital photo assemblage painting on phone; 2019 ![]() dimensions variable; digital photo assemblage painting on phone; 2015 |