Efrat Baler-Moses
I create immersive, multidimensional artworks that push the boundaries of traditional painting and blur the lines between painting and sculpture. Through transdisciplinary practices, these evolving hybrid constructions challenge the conventional, static, frontal viewing experiences typically associated with paintings. My work transcends the spatial constraints of conventional paintings, designed for exhibition on walls, stands, pedestals, and turntables. This approach encourages viewers to engage with the artwork from multiple perspectives and question their preconceived notions about space, form, and narrative.
By joining the backsides of canvases to their fronts and integrating non-traditional materials and elements that shift on, beneath, or behind the canvas, I seek to disrupt the viewer’s expectations and draw attention to the physicality and temporality of the creative process. I invite viewers to explore the conceptual depth of each piece. By using both traditional painting techniques and unconventional materials, I reveal the inner workings of the artwork, exposing the layers and processes that underlie its creation. My pieces often feature ordinary objects and figures imbued with hidden narratives, juxtaposed against seemingly everyday settings to suggest deeper, often unsettling truths. This approach encourages viewers to pause, observe, and question their perceptions, considering the intricate interplay between the visible and invisible, the known and the unknown.
Influenced by diverse cultural experiences, my work explores current conflicts, cultural trends, gender advocacy movements, art-about-art, and themes of displacement, identity, transformation, and personal and social issues. As a cultural transplant, I investigate how objects and forms evolve across contexts, conveying the fluidity and flux of identities shaped by migration, cultural hybridity, and the complexities of contemporary experience. My recent works are also a response to contemporary events, such as the tragic occurrences in Israel and Gaza, reflecting on the hidden narratives within seemingly ordinary objects and landscapes. These pieces aim to reveal deeper, sometimes unsettling layers that speak to broader themes of violence, displacement, and the fragility of hope and home.
Recognizing the evolving dynamics of art consumption in today’s digital age, where attention spans are dwindling due to the overstimulation from immersive technologies, my work invites viewers to slow down and engage more deeply. By disrupting the static, frontal viewing experience, I encourage a more prolonged interaction, where viewers must move around and explore the artworks from different angles, uncovering layers and narratives that reveal themselves over time.
Ultimately, my artworks provoke thought and dialogue, challenging established conventions of painting and how we engage with art. I hope to change not only how we perceive art but also how we interact with the world around us, fostering a more reflective and engaged experience.
