Madison, WI ARTIST STATEMENTThe American Regionalist movement of the 1930’s set out to depict life as seen through the eyes of the rural Midwest painter, a nostalgic look at the pre-industrial landscape. Regionalist artists longed for a pure representation of life untouched by the industrial revolution. These artists portrayed an idealistic view of the world they lived in, beautiful rolling hills and quite depictions of small-town life. In contrast my work presents a much different view of life in the Midwest. I seek to depict the unavoidable impact our modern way of life bears on the world around us. Taking an intentional look at the industrial age as it paves a path through the countryside. Rather than deny the influence humans have on the land, I work with that influence; exploring how beauty can still be found in a landscape covered by strip-malls and highways. This new examination is still romantic in nature, but the subject matter has changed dramatically. Even the smallest rural towns begin to spread out, bigger houses with bigger yards, built up next to bigger parking lots leading up to our super mega convenience stores. All connected by widening highways, to carry us from one nondescript place to another. This is the landscape I see growing and maturing before us, because of us. An environment with meticulous rows of trees, and small patches of well-manicured grass surrounded by a sea of pavement. Buildings stretch on and on across the horizon. I think of this body of work as the “Modern American landscape”, with plenty of parking. Not unlike the Regionalist painters, it is my attempt to portray the beauty of the world around me. The long lonely spaces of the Midwest are described throughout my work. Color and light play a major role, helping to set the tone and mood within each painting. It is important that the places feel familiar while remaining ambiguous. Though the images are particular places, the specificity is not the intent. It is my goal to create a landscape that feels both recognizable and at the same time anonymous. The idea of a strip-mall or an expansive highway may not sound appealing, however my aim is to find the beauty within this modern landscape. BIOGRAPHYAnn Orlowski is a painter based in Madison, WI. Her hard edge depictions of architectural designs explore themes of modernity and industrialization. Orlowski’s clever use of line and color plays with our vision, manipulating our perspective and spatial awareness. She holds a BFA from the University of Northern Iowa, where she focused on printmaking. Since leaving the University setting in 2004, she has developed her painting practice and has shown her work throughout the region. She has focused her career on both art making and curation. Orlowski is the Assistant Art Director at Abel Contemporary Gallery, she curates shows in the Madison area, and has juried art shows and fairs throughout the region.