LISA CUSCUNA
There are many artists in Fairfield County; many work in seclusion, looking for opportunities to show their work, but then there are also artists who in addition to creating their work, devote time and effort to building up the cultural awareness of art in their local communities. Stamford resident, Lisa Cuscuna, has been working for the past decade building a portfolio of work. But at the same time she has devoted endless hours to building and restructuring the cultural artistic activities in the Stamford area. Not too long ago, the Loft Artists association, a 40 year-old Arts organization based in the South End of Stamford, had no lease for the building in which they were situated and were faced with sudden eviction. Their president at the time, Lisa Cuscuna, set out on a mission to find a solution to the problem and save the organization that was tittering on dissolution. In doing so she initiated an agreement with the City and then landlord BLT to provide artistic workshops for children during the simmer in the south end of Stamford.
Giving back to the community was not always the main focus for Cuscuna, who after having left a career in video installation design, has been working as a professional artist for the past 20 years. Now it seems like second nature. “There are rewards from having people appreciate your work, and then there are rewards from seeing that progress is being made and that people are grateful for things you do to enhance their lives,” says Cuscuna. “I want to be known for the work that I produce on canvas, but it is gratifying to know that people have appreciated my efforts at keeping a group like the LAA together.”
The process of pouring thinned oil paint has been a part of her technique for many years. Sometimes the paint is used as a foundation while other times the entire canvas is made only with poured paint. This process provides a fascinating array of textures and color that are completely spontaneous, invoking a feeling that the paint itself is creating the structure and design of the work. More often the involvement for Cuscuna is one of restraint and observation. Knowing when to inhibit or curtail the flow is essential and key to achieving a composition that is rhythmic and unfettered. Some colors are poured together but often one set of colors is left to dry before another set is applied, later to be enhanced with brushwork and palette knife. A simple deliberate line or stroke of color in some works is indicative of the restraint required to achieve the end results.
Lisa Cuscuna is a graduate of The Cooper Union School of Science and Art. A video artist and photographer for 30 years, her work is on display in various installations around the world including The American Museum of Natural History, The George H. W. Bush Presidential Library, the Petronas Discovery Center in Kuala Lumpur, and the International Olympic Committee Museum in Lausanne Switzerland. Her Oil paintings have been exhibited at the Loft Artists Gallery in Stamford CT, the “Karen Lynn Gallery" in Boca Raton, Florida, Fattahi’s Fine Art Gallery in New Canaan CT, “Zorya Fine Arts Gallery” in Greenwich CT, the “Cate Charles Gallery” in Stonington CT, and rfaDecor gallery, a division of The Rosenbaum Contemporary Gallery in Boca Raton Florida.
