Spotlight Artist

Emma Florance

West
Artist profile photo

Phoenix Lights I

Person partially inside a large cactus, with feet, face, and hand visible.

acrylic and oil on canvas

Flash Flood

Woman hiding underwater among dense, flowing aquatic plants.

oil on canvas

Closer to Me

Two figures in soft light hold a glowing cactus, one drops a glowing object onto it.

acrylic and oil on canvas

Featured in New American Paintings1 / 3

Artist Statement

 My paintings are about the connection between people and nature in urban landscapes. In each piece, my likeness becomes a new character in a cryptic desert fairytale. I start with a feature of Phoenix, AZ that catches my eye: an impressive plant, mountain silhouette, or the city lights. Then, a vague self-portrait looks from afar, examines up close, or merges into the environment, expressing the feeling of being both an inhabitant and intruder.

Phoenix is my home now, but our urban lifestyle is at odds with the nature of the desert. The life that manages to grow through the cracks in this expanse of concrete is especially magical.

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