Work by Libby Rosa

Sky Woman (2019)

Libby Rosa presented her M.F.A. thesis exhibition Sky Woman in Bibliowicz Family Gallery in Ithaca from April 15–19, 2019. This body of work evokes the feeling of being in the presence of waterfalls. Inspired by Ithaca's many gorges and falls, Rosa uses paint to splatter and layer visual experiences that reflect both the imaginary and observable world. She intentionally uses tools and processes that connect the imagery to their mark-making. She uses the traditional paintbrush to render hair, a squeegee to paint flowing water, and cuts into the canvas to create holes and spaces to fill. Within the paintings, symbols and figures appear from myths such as the goddess from the Iroquois creation story Sky Woman and objects such as anklets from the South Indian epic Kannagi's Anklet. Along with her desire to highlight the fluidity of paint, Rosa shows the visual and visceral pleasure in experiencing these natural wonders in the face of a swiftly changing and vulnerable global landscape.