Maria Lux
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Bunny/Rabbit
Oil and colored pencil on paper
14" x 18"

Chuck Close, in an interview with Charlie Rose, said the following about painting: "Painting is one of the most magical of mediums . . . because It transcends its physical reality. You know, it's just colored dirt on some cloth wrapped around some wood strips, but it creates space where there is no space." His comment touched on one reason painting continues to be compelling to look at, no matter how contested the status of painting is today. There is something very deep and maybe innate in us that derives great pleasure from looking at the magic of illusions and being able to create them ourselves. I paint to be a part of that.