Gladys Rosa-Rey

Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, USA

Artist statement

My practice engages texture, gestural markings, and grids to reference the terrains of both physical geography and internal experiences. Conceptually, my use of materials is informed by my family’s migration from Puerto Rico in the wake of Operation Bootstrap. I am particularly interested in contending with the grid and its legacy in colonial dispossession of land and other resources. Region in the Mind: Terrenos y Cuentos is a series that explores the grid, which is a recurring motif in my work. The grid emerges as a line drawing to conceptualize space. My relationship with the grid fluctuates between adherence and rebellion: I deliberately breach its confines to allow for chance processes and a rethinking of the grid structure to occur. The materials and methods I engage are rooted in my childhood experiences and explorations of the natural world. Through the use of brushes, branches, excavation tools, and materials like sand, I evoke memories of innocence and environmental curiosity. Traces of my process are made visible in the work. I delineate the grid with a x-acto blade and branches, probe the surfaces with various tools, and leave visible marks from the staples that are used to stretch my paper. I create texture by scraping and transferring sand from sandpaper to reflect migration and memory. The panels I create are geographical and emotional terrains that are small in scale to invite close viewing. Panels are placed side by to suggest contrasting relationships...

Artwork