Andrea Morganstern

Lives and works in Queens, NY, USA

Artist statement

In my paintings and sculptures, I construct biomorphic forms that fuse elements of the human body, animals, and plants, using dots as building blocks. These forms exist in a state of continuous creation and dissolution, emerging from and dissolving back into an ephemeral, transparent space. Each form is composed of the same essential units, reflecting how all matter arises from identical subatomic particles arranged in ever-shifting configurations. I am intrigued by the idea, expressed in both quantum physics and ancient Indian philosophy, that beneath the appearance of solidity lies a dynamic reality of movement and energy. Additionally, I explore the tension between structure and fluidity: areas of precisely applied dots coexist with passages of thicker, looser, more gestural passages of paint. Recurring fractal patterns—particularly those found in neurons, tree branches, and river networks—inform the development of my forms. Their presence across vastly different scales suggests an underlying continuity within the natural world. Spatial configurations in the work draw on art historical and architectural references associated with transition and transcendence—from Renaissance depictions of ascension and mythological realms such as Olympus to the keyhole-shaped doorway in Islamic architecture, representing a portal between the worldly and the sacred. The motif of dots traversing gaps between forms draws on The Creation of Adam. While my work is primarily abstract, the...

Artwork