Mia
Scarpa

My work explores the relational distinction between art & craft and the inherent hierarchical value given to the word “Art”, while “craft” holds a different & often lesser connotation. The work is very material-based & I focus on things such as detail-work (in relation to craft), humor, decoration/ornamentation, toys, album covers, cartoons, symbols, treasured objects, memories, connections, home, comfort, and other seemingly unconnected things. I often incorporate unique references in regard to imagery, they range from the specific, to  the  purposeful, to the literal, to the completely ambiguous. I struggle with the notion that a lot of contemporary art consists of painting that appears like outsider art, but is not. I feel that my work somehow fits into this strange in-between category.