Laude Novella artwork
A New Song in Praise of Peace - acrylic and mixed media on board, 40.6 cm (w) x 50.8 cm (h), 2009
Inspired by the processional banners and new art approaches of the Italian Renaissance this painting was commissioned by Margriet Tindemans for the Medieval Women's Choir compact disk, Laude Novella. The praise songs of St. Francis of Assisi, and works by Margriet Tindemans and Peter Siebert for the choir invite reflection on our environment and its evolution as a dynamic system. Through the painting process of acrylic media on board, I have been experimenting with a textured material which mimics ceramic crackle glaze. To incorporate movement and drama within a temporal awareness, I chose yellow and azure backgrounds, colors which appear in the banners and paintings of the quattracento. I also use mineral pigments which, through their iridescence, refer to the geology and biochemistry of our world. These materials are somewhat fragile but allow complexity in both surface texture and background variation, inviting comparison with the diversity and interdependency of ecosystems.
About the artist
Alice Dubiel has exhibited her work internationally and nationally during the past 30 years. West Coast installations have featured paintings, interactive shrines and conceptual work involving land use. Dubiel's works on agriculture, feminism and reproduction have appeared in California, New York, San Antonio, Portland, Edinburgh and Daegu, Korea. Current projects explore the dialectic between the studies of ecology and evolution. She works and lives with her family in Seattle volunteering as an amateur naturalist and singing with the Medieval Women's Choir. Born in Berkeley, CA, she holds an MA in painting and an AB in English literature, pursuing graduate work in medieval literature, art and critical theory. In 1984, Dubiel received funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities for research on women's performance. In fall 2006, she was artist in residence at North Cascades National Park. In 2007 she received funds from 4Culture in King County, WA.