Isabella Grossman: Artist’s Statement

As an out of state student living and studying in California, I find that I am a reflection of this small stretch of the west coast I get to call home, the friends I have made here, and the personal and physical growth I have experienced since arriving. This very notion is one that has manifested itself through my art during my time at the college of creative studies. 

 Since arriving at UCSB, I have completely let go of all preconceived notions that were ingrained in me before coming here. These include standards and ideas that were taught to me by previous teachers and mentors. I once believed that a painting was only considered to be good if it looked as accurate as a photo. Letting go of that has led me to explore new mediums, colors, and subject matter. 

Though I am excited about the path that I am currently on, and the new direction my art is taking, I have to admit it wasn’t an easy point to get to. In high school I was passionate about oil painting and traditional style large scale portraiture, never venturing to paint below the bust of my model. The first piece I made at UCSB incorporated the same style of portraiture but also combined new elements that were fresh and exciting to me. This first piece is a true testament to the way I arrived at college knowing I wanted more from my art. 

My work and progress has since ebbed and flowed and has included spells of time where I was completely uninterested in my art, painting, and creating. I’ve had to work really hard to tap back into my creativity and I owe a lot of it to the experiences I’ve had over my summers interning. I worked at Art Basel in 2022, Art Basel Singapore in 2023, worked and studied in London at Sothebys, and worked at local gallery, Maune Contemporary located on state street. During my time at each one of these institutions, I visually ingested so much art. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t learn something new about art. I was constantly looking and being exposed to endless amounts of media. I saw types of art I had never heard of, and developed a taste for the abstract. I knew things were beginning to shift when I became enamored with a piece by Marielle Campana, a young American abstract painter being shown by Portland based gallery, Adams and Ollman. This piece consumed me for the better part of the week of Art Basel. It was there that I purchased my first ever piece of art. A beautiful piece by Marielle Campana, something I would have never gravitated towards in the past. 

These internships have changed the way I look at, am influenced by, and appreciate art. There are so many elements in art that I was exposed to and have brought with me into my work and practice. I will be forever grateful for how these experiences have shaped me and I look forward to having more of them. 

While I have felt changed by my experiences working, interning, and learning in and about the art world, I have felt no greater influence than the one outside my front door. Isla vista can often feel like a lawless land. Beer cans litter lawns and front gardens, shoes decorate electrical lines like ornaments, and there is a party every night, no matter the day of the week. In the midst of all this chaos, it is never difficult to find beauty. The novelty of looking out my window and seeing the ocean is one that will never wear off. I find so much peace and solace in the ocean and the mountains around us. In my free time I surf, hike, and camp and feel constantly inspired by our environment. There is a perpetual flow of creativity that I feel while I am here. Learning how to surf on my longboard has been equally as rewarding as finishing a painting or getting an A on a test. Surfing, although I still have much more to learn, has consumed me. It’s infiltrated my language, my thoughts, and my art. When I’m feeling anxious, I just think about a warm day and a slow breaking, clean, three foot wave, with no one in the lineup but me. This meditation is one that inspired me to begin painting on surfboards, combining my two passions into one. The patterns that I paint on them are ones that are carefully researched, sketched, and meticulously planned out. I never thought I would be doing so much math as an art student, I even invested in a protractor and an orbital sander. 

While surfing has definitely made a huge impact on my art, deep diving into the realm of repeating patterns and design has been extremely interesting. Since switching directions in my work I have done lots of research for my practice. In a lot of my current projects, it's easy to spot references to traditional Polynesian and Hawaiian quilting, early American patchwork and coverlets, prints and tiles, and of course influences from the local flora and fauna found here in Santa Barbara. It’s easy to be inspired by the people of Santa Barbara and Isla Vista and the granola -surfer aesthetic they embrace. In addition to my work painting I also enjoy shooting 35mm film both in the water and out of it. On multiple occasions I have been hired to photograph parties, bands, and modeling shoots for a local magazine/ online blog. On multiple occasions I have used the people and things I photograph to inspire my art. I have also found such comfort and inspiration in works by well known artists such as Gustav Klimt and Owen Jones and small business owner, and wife to famous Board shaper Ryan Lovelace, Katie Lovelace. The intricate details, symmetry, and harmony within their pieces is something that I am greatly inspired by. I also find myself spending a lot of time on Pinterest and etsy looking at embroidery, needlepoint patterns, and beadwork. In the future I hope to learn to construct a quilt or another sort of similar textile. My work in beading has taught me patience and to learn to trust my process and myself. I feel that next steps for me also include creating a series of unique painted patterns that I plan to digitize and print on fabric. 

The place I am at with my art is one I’m still very unsure of. The direction I’ve gone is still foreign to me but I feel like I’ve discovered something good, something that’s mine, something representative of my mind, body, soul, experiences, and environment. And most importantly, something worth pursuing. I am confident that my practice will only continue to progress, and I am proud to say I feel excited for the first time in a long time about what I’m doing. In a world where I feel like I am constantly consuming products, media, and opinions, to create, and be so excited and wrapped up in it, is such a wonderful thing.