State of the ARTS: Danika Ostrowski
Natural Order
“There’s something special about leaving land as wild as possible.”
As the daughter of two architects, Danika Ostrowski spent her upbringing surrounded by the creative arts. Early childhood memories include countless summer vacations spent visiting national parks, and it was during a nostalgic visit to Big Bend with her family that she felt compelled to paint a landscape for the first time.
The instinct was prescient, and after completing an artist residency the summer before her graduation from Texas A&M University, she soon found herself renting a small studio in Austin and committing to make art a full-time career.
“I hope my work helps people recognize the importance of nature and how its preservation should always stay relevant.”
Her pieces are bold and refreshingly literal, depicting dramatic topographies with a palette consisting of rich and exaggerated desert hues. She fittingly describes her style as residing at the intersection between impressionism and graphic illustration, yielding a mesmerizing depth and sensuality that would be difficult to accomplish with a different rendering approach.
While not intended to be exact reproductions of the formal landscapes, her pieces evoke the memory of a place by intentionally amplifying certain colors and geometrics.
Pulling memory and emotion into her work is central to her process, making each piece recognizant of the formative time of her youth spent surrounded by nature.
On the topic of memory, Danika expounds, “Most of the time my shows are in bigger cities where people can’t access these landscapes all the time. I’m trying to bring the exoticism of these places into people’s homes, while also creating awareness that they exist and that we should protect them.”
Those ideals of natural preservation, so central to the ethos of America that they led to the establishment of the national park system over a century ago, have most recently come under surprising assault from political pundits and lawmakers alike.
“I guess it’s hard not to be political lately,” she says with a bemused shake of the head. “Unfortunately, being an advocate for our national parks can be taken as a political statement, and it shouldn’t be.”
Despite the challenging times facing the world, and art community in general, Danika is especially grateful for the art community she has found in Austin. “Creative communities can get competitive, but that part of the scene doesn’t really exist in Austin. Between the artists, gallery owners, and patrons, there’s a genuine support for each other around a shared goal. I find it to be pretty unique.”
Danika creates her work based on photographs, sketches, and memories, and is a devoted advocate for the preservation of public lands in the United States.
Contact:
danikaostrowski.com
@danika_ostrowski_art
