Francesca "Frahn" Koerner

Artist Statement

I like to tell a story. But I like to leave it open to interpretation… I don’t want to give it all away. Many images in my work are purposely not obvious at first, but are revealed upon further observation. There is an undercurrent pertaining to the psychology and emotion of human relationships.

Growing up on the Mississippi Gulf coast has influenced my work. Vibrant colors from the semi tropical environment and rhythmic patterns inspired by those in nature have been repetitive motifs for me. Boats are also a common symbol. I travel as much as I can, exploring different cultures. I often infuse indigenous patterns and op art designs into my work. Other influences are an early Catholic upbringing, a Celtic heritage, and an ongoing interest in spiritual symbolism, Sacred Geometry, and Buddhist Philosophy.

A huge inspiration is using materials other than traditional oil paint. The surface of a painting is important to me. I get excited when working with materials such as liquid plastic, gold dust, aluminum paint, glitter, and more recently….fabric, glass beads, and sequins. This combination results in an overall painting surface that simultaneously reflects and absorbs the light. The purpose is to achieve an illusion of movement and depth. I want color and pictorial space to fluctuate, while eliciting a meditative and rhythmic response. This is intended to visually allude to the elusiveness of perceiving an immaterial world. The hidden layers hopefully suggest an element of mystery.

Below is a quote from David S. Rubin, past Curator of Visual Arts for the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, Louisiana and now the Brown Foundation Curator for Contemporary Art at San Antonio, Texas.

“As a painter, Koerner uses the computer as a “virtual sketchbook,” a tool for fleshing out ideas. In developing a painting, Koerner may create as many as one hundred computer mockups in which she experiments with multiple possibilities for color, scale, and composition. She begins a painting by pouring paint onto a canvas or wood panel, photographs the initial layer, and scans the image onto a computer. Next she integrates imagery from a variety of sources in her everyday environment into the mix, and manipulates the visual data. She then photographs the painting again and repeats the process until satisfied with the results. A finished painting is then based on the computer data but never replicates it.

Koerner is as interested in the layering of meanings as she is of forms, and the amalgam of images in her paintings represents a personal lexicon of emotional, psychological, and spiritual symbolism. Memory and nostalgia, for example are reflected in decorative patterning that she copied from an architectural motif at a church that she visited in Budapest, while the recurring image of a horse refers to her experience of riding horses during childhood.”