Interview with Bea Modisett
I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Kingston Gallery in Boston’s South End where the current exhibition of Associate Members includes deCordova Lending Artist Bea Modisett’s paintings. 
Inspired by the landscapes of her travels, Bea’s abstract compositions are delightfully created through the use of a strong color palette and the gestural sweeping of oil paint. As I studied the work, I couldn’t help but smile at the discovery of small clusters of drippings underneath the many applied surfaces- an excitement that correlates to Bea’s own experience of uncovering new lands and inspiration for her art practice.
Lydia: For this body of work on view now at Kingston Gallery, what landscapes or places were you inspired by?
Bea:.Everything I am working on right now is inspired by a cross-country road trip I took by myself at the end of last year. Most notably I find myself thinking back to my interaction with Arches National Park, Death Valley National Park and the Pacific Coast Highway. The scale and power of the land formations emerging from the earth is like nothing I have ever seen or experienced before, and then this is balanced with ethereal and delicate elements like fog or silence. Through these paintings I am trying to re-create a sense of independence, power and scale while embracing the abstraction of a memory that comes with time.
Lydia: You paint on several different sizes of canvas; can you talk a little bit about what happens when you paint on a smaller/larger space? How does it affect your approach to painting/mark making? Do you prefer larger or smaller canvas as the artist and again as the viewer?
Bea: I find I work quicker and take more risks when working small. Smaller paintings are usually about me searching for something new, trying to find something uncomfortable, the larger paintings are further investigating whatever it is that I found. I do tend to be more calculated and controlled in my larger paintings. I love painting like this in response to the underlying gesture of all my work but I need to be careful it does not take over the entire piece. As finished pieces, the large paintings and small ones both excite me in different ways.
Lydia: How do you know when a painting is done?
Bea: When I feel like I have learned something and in order to further explore it I need to move on to the next painting.
Lydia: What is it like to experience your work in a group show, not just in your own studio?
Bea: It is really exciting! Seeing my paintings alongside the work of other artists always sharpens my eye. I search for connections but the disparities also help me to see my own work with a different level of clarity.
Lydia: You seem to be quite buzz-worthy around town as I have seen your work both in Boston and up in Beverly, can you tell me about your experience of being invited to exhibit at Kingston and what that special relationship is like for you?
Bea: I was encouraged to apply for Associate Membership by a few of the members and was flattered to be accepted. Being counted amongst the many wonderful artists at Kingston is exciting for me, and I have learned a lot about the benefits of being involved with an artist run space.
Lydia: Are their particular artists in this show that you are drawn to or inspired by?
Bea: I am very drawn to the work of Robert Maloney. The work is playful while also employing a lot of geometry and structure – it’s refreshing to me.
Lydia: What’s next for you?
Bea: More travel and more painting. Always.
Thanks Bea! X: 2011 Associate Members’ Exhibition is currently on view until August 28 with an opening reception TONIGHT! 6-8pm.
