Serena Beaulieu lives and works in Montreal. The geometric paintings of Serena Beaulieu, are defined by an ongoing investigation into the effects of color and form. Observations of her everyday surroundings, of architecture and objects, act as the starting point for her simplified geometric compositions. Utilizing not only the front of the support, but also the paintings’ sides, she creates subtle illusions that emphasize the three-dimensional quality of the painted shapes or physical aspects of the panel itself. At the same time she subverts this emphasis by flattening the shapes, using inexact ratios/or by leaving traces of the wooden support unpainted.
Acrylic, or oil is applied in very thin layers, allowing the grain of the wood to be apparent. At times, traces of a different coloured undercoat are left to show the decisions made in the process of painting. Beaulieu often works in series: she explores different sizes, and thicknesses of panels, in a way that would deviate the viewers’ perceptions of the art object. The paintings aim to activate an awareness to detail; as to material and individual interpretation, giving a meaning to the object.