Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9

Liz Rundorff Smith
Sleep Aid (abstract, bright colors, dark colors, layers)

2021

About the Item

acrylic on paper 23.25 x 19.25 inches framed Rundorff Smith deals with central shapes that she develops by referencing urns, shrines, burial mounds and places of veneration. As a current resident of South Carolina, she associates cemeteries, particularly locations in the South, as spiritual spaces of veneration. Her paintings are reliquaries for memories. Urns are vessels to hold ashes while also acknowledging life—what we mourn and what we celebrate. In the exhibition at SEFA Hudson, Rundorff Smith presents the latest in her series entitled “Trophy.” These small scale encaustic paintings are hung in a grid that mirrors the geometric patterns within each piece. The artist works in layers by melting and combining pigmented wax to create a literal history on the materials’ surface, while simultaneously implying the personal story that each vessel is meant to hold. Rendered in colored wax from sky blue to bright pink to vibrant yellow—a rectangular pattern blankets many of the paintings. This patternation references the constructions of Rundorff Smith’s father, a builder. Thus, the “Trophy” paintings are manifested into small awards to herself. They are an acknowledgement of her own successes and of the care and work that she does to ensure her daughters are raised differently than herself. She states: “I get into the grid and I lose the state of structure because it is fascinating to destroy the grid itself.” She memorializes her childhood and she leaves other elements behind. Rundorff Smith is interested in kitsch as an accessible form of beauty, related to the aesthetics of her youth. The nostalgic color choices and build up of encaustic is reminiscent of mid-century American decor. In recent paintings like Good Girls, the artist added fringe to the bottom of the canvas. This tactile embellishment plays into kitsch, reminiscent of party decorations, parade floats and prize ribbons—elevating the vessel to something to be celebrated. Patterning, grids, reflected and mirrored vessels suggest the artist's need to nurture the painting through repetition. It is a means to transfer the desired memories and emotions. The artist associates the vessels with her two daughters—or herself and her sister. While many of the forms are repeated, they are never perfect copies. Color is allowed to bleed; lines cut off; previous marks shine through both paper and encaustic pieces. This undulation between symmetry and irregularity creates a need to examine every inch.
  • Creator:
  • Creation Year:
    2021
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 13.5 in (34.29 cm)Width: 11 in (27.94 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU16814341542

More From This Seller

View All
Underbite (abstract, patterns, bright colors, layers, red, green, texture)
By Liz Rundorff Smith
Located in New York, NY
Acrylic and gouache on paper 19 x 19 inches framed
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache

Self Care (abstract, patterns, dark colors, layers, green, purple, red, texture)
By Liz Rundorff Smith
Located in New York, NY
Acrylic and gouache on paper 22 x 20 inches framed
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache

Binge Worthy (abstract, bright colors, dark colors, layers)
By Liz Rundorff Smith
Located in New York, NY
Acrylic on paper 21.5 x 19.75 inches framed
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Mind Blowing (abstract, bright colors, dark colors, layers)
By Liz Rundorff Smith
Located in New York, NY
Acrylic on paper 21.5 x 19.75 inches framed
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache

Vibrant Bodies
Located in New York, NY
Acrylic, fabric, and paper on board Each board is 12 x 12 inches with 1 inch space between them
Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Fabric, Paper, Acrylic, Board

Crossing Lines, Intersections #8, blue and green mixed media painting
Located in New York, NY
The exhibition also includes Crossing Lines, a series created in collaboration with interdisciplinary artist Lisa Hill. This series draws on the literal and...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Metal

You May Also Like

Study for As If Two - Contemporary Abstract Painting Yellow Purple Stripes, 2024
By Audrey Stone
Located in Kent, CT
In this contemporary abstract painting in acrylic on Yupo paper, gradient stripes of color in pale yellow and magenta purple are vibrant and carefully ordered. Signed, dated and titl...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Evergreens - Abstract Colorful Original Nature Landscape Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elisabeth Grace, a visionary artist based in Denver, CO (USA), is renowned for her immersive large-scale paintings, collages, murals, and installation art. With a BA in oil painting ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil

"Traces" -Abstract Paint -Large size Made in Italy
By Marilina Marchica
Located in Agrigento, AG
Traces mixed media on canvas 100x120 cm 2017 original art ready to hang
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper

"Broken Promises" - Abstracted Floral Still Life in Acrylic and Pencil on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold still life painting with collage by unknown artist Marvin Martin (American, 20th Century). A black and white floral still life has been torn and used as collage material for this composition. There are additional layers of paint and pencil to create a layered composition. Signed, titled, and dated along the bottom edge: Marvin Martin Broken Promises 1986 Presented in a distressed wood frame with an off white mat...
Category

1980s Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

"Make a Splash", Large-Scale Figurative Abstract with Swimmer in Pool
By Marc Foster Grant
Located in Soquel, CA
This bold and dynamic figurative abstract acrylic painting on handmade paper by Marc Foster Grant (American, b. 1947) certainly makes a splash! A figure dressed in a fabulous swimwear ensemble jumps into the pool and onto a globe, causing a huge splash of water to burst forth towards the viewer. The fun, colorful, and fancifully detailed swimming outfit complete with vintage style bathing suit...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Handmade Paper

Teal Ribbons and Gold Squares Lithograph
By Patricia A. Pearce
Located in Soquel, CA
Delicate and layered Collotype on heavy bond paper by Patricia A. Pearce (American, b. 1948). The background is a lithograph, and the ribbons have been painted by hand over the top. ...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Abstract Prints

Materials

Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Pencil, Lithograph

Recently Viewed

View All