Rosie Fitzgerrel

Rosie Fitzgerrel (b. 1986) is a landscape and figurative painter and a graphic designer. Her paintings study how humanity influences and interrupts the natural world, presenting the meeting of these two elements as a neutral observer. Her vibrant works are primarily created with vinyl emulsion paint, as well as gouache and oil pastels. The abstraction of components within her work is informed by her experience as a graphic designer, lending her compositions a distinct visual rhythm. After studying graphic design at the University of Cincinnati, she lived in Providence, Rhode Island, for five years before settling in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where she currently resides.


Artist Statement

Humans are both a part of nature and seek to control it. My work examines the interaction and interference between humanity and the natural world. Human-made structures disrupt and shape the landscape, while humans yearn to connect with and immerse themselves in it. The dynamic between these two entities oscillates from incongruity to harmony, and that point of tension is the focus of my work.

As both a participant and an intruder in these natural environments, I utilize intense color to convey the feelings of reverence and wonder that are invoked by the landscape itself and also by those occupying it. The graphic nature of my painting style, where distinct strokes of color neighbor one another rather than merge, reinforces a discord at a micro level, but the consistent treatment unifies each piece when viewed as a whole. This approach reflects my background in graphic design. The use of vinyl emulsion paint, with its matte finish and quick drying time, furthers the paradox: a synthetic, polymer-based medium is employed to depict environments endangered by such very materials.

I cultivate scenes to resist exaggeration and specific interpretations. My works are approachable rather than idealistic, portraying my subjects with a reserved delight and naturalistic compositions. Seeking questions rather than answers, I use my paintings to meditate on how we fit in the natural order as we continue to both destroy and preserve the wonders of nature.


www.rosiefitzgerrel.com