Tula Oliver

Why is the material you are using important to your work?


I enjoy using Acrylic paint as my primary medium because I like to start and complete works in a single sitting. Often times I get an idea for a piece and I feel as though I have to execute it in full as quick as possible before it escapes me -- I’ve found that Acrylic allows me to materialize my visions more holistically and expeditiously than say oil or graphite because of its relative opacity, vibrance,and the precision it affords in tandem with its fast-dry.

How does the “concept/ content/ technique” framework manifest in your work?

These work take inspiration from sci-fi literature and the conceptual and aesthetic principles of the surrealist movement, focusing on the subconscious, body consciousness, and the relations between organisms and their environment/ecosystem. My work takes on various subjects intended to draw in the viewer asking them to create new and unpredictable cycles of thought and association, that challenge one’s perceptions, perspectives and assumptions. At the root, these works explore the idea of metamorphosis in relation to the intrinsic link between the physical body and the metaphysical concept of self.

What is your favorite color? And why?

My favorite color is constantly changing, at the moment I’m a huge fan of apricot orange. However; I’ve always been drawn to fleshy pinks because of the feminine and biological connotations attached to them.