Brylle Ariaga

BFA Studio Art

My work, which moves between painting and sculpture, investigates the complex structures of houses and apartment buildings, their interiors as well as the spaces that surround the buildings. By using lines, shapes, patterns, and curves, I stage scenes that combine imaginary and realistic elements. Then I use my own characters or patterns to complete the composition. The more I add bright or dark colors, the more lively the paintings become. Sometimes the scenes seem quite funny to me. 

I use tape to build the structure of the paintings. The process shows me different options. The interaction of the taped lines forms big squares, rectangles, and triangles, the framework of the composition. Next, I paint the negative space. As I see lines and shapes emerge, they excite my imagination. I am often inspired by comics or manga series with their side by side action scenes. 

Each painting and each sculpture is complete by itself, but in combination with other pieces, they create a story or a non-linear narrative. The individual paintings, when put in a group of four, might show different angles of the first painting. Or, in the four paintings, there will be a chance to move through different parts of the same environment. There are also times when shapes appear to continue from one painting to the next. The panels can be arranged in different sequences as long as the colors, lines, and shapes match up. 

The sculptures take characters from the paintings and give them solid form, which enhances the perspective of the space. My characters emerge from recognizable objects such as machines and tools. When I add patterns to their bodies, they become beings that can move through space. They emit emotions that give them stage presence, and create intense or warm feelings.