WWU Virtual Studio Tour with Lorna Libert

Check out this video to watch the WWU Virtual Studio Tour with Artist Lorna Libert.

Current life experience inspires all of Lorna Libert's work. Her paintings—which are developed in series—often feature the decaying forms of old structures: abandoned buildings, weathered boats and rusting trucks. Through the warping of space and the subtle nuances of color, her work emphasizes the significance of worn and disintegrating artifacts. These subjects convey rich cultural metaphors relating to time, society, man and nature. 

Libert worked as a commercial fisherwoman for over ten years, a period that inspired a large series of paintings focused on seabirds, seascapes, and old fishing vessels. She has also traveled extensively around the world, creating paintings and gathering ideas along the way. A particularly memorable body of work was created in Kenya and featured life-sized animal paintings (including a 20-foot tall giraffe). During the pandemic, Libert has sought subjects close to home, finding inspiration in hiking and sailing through the San Juan islands.

Through creativity, experimentation and research, Libert is suggesting historical and sociological concepts that are connected to abandoned structures. By placing these structures in a unique space and emphasizing specific characteristics, they become icons and metaphors of our culture. The abandoned buildings, vessels and vehicles of the 20th Century will continue to decay, but through bold colors, thick brush strokes and inviting compositions, Libert seeks to immortalize their profundity.