09 Anna Harrison | Arts + Literature Laboratory | Madison Contemporary Arts Center

09 Anna Harrison

One Month

Issis Macias
Mixed media (paper collage, acrylic, oil pastel, and spray paint) on canvas
$100 (artist will donate proceeds to Planned Parenthood)

Artist Statement

Anna Harrison (1775-1864) was First Lady of the United States during her husband's (William Henry Harrison, ninth President) one-month term in 1841. She was First Lady in name only, and had every intention of being a real one, but never got the chance. This painting strives to show the experiences she had growing up, during a time when women were treated as second class citizens. Motherhood, domestic duties, femininity, and social barriers are some of the themes depicted in the petals. Anna, faceless, is at the center portraying women of the era. The number one is a significant marker in Anna's life, as she is a first in many aspects of her life.

About the Artist

Issis Macias is an artist based in Madison, Wisconsin. She is a self-taught artist, first generation Mexican American, born and raised in Los Angeles, California. In 2012, while exploring the eclectic art scene in Los Angeles, an encounter with a community of avant-garde painters, musicians, and photographers ignited an exploration of "self" and curiosity for artistic expression.

Today, her paintings are varied in style, reflecting an intuitive process and approach. She primarily works with acrylic and oil pastels on canvas to make abstract paintings of various textures, forms, and shapes. These are derived from her free-form methods of smearing and scraping paint with canvas keys, wedges, and bare hands. For Issis, painting is a meditative process, where the texture of each pigment guides the movement of hands as it soaks into the canvas. The result is a distinctive body of abstract artwork that is vibrant and emotive. Issis finds inspiration in Mother Earth's colors, Indigenous art, water, music, travel, and her little muse - Inez Lily.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.

Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.

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