Susan McLaughlin

PERFECT WORLDS

“You keep getting better and better. I love it” —Seymour Chwast, renowned graphic designer and illustrator

The world we live in is far from flawless. Looking for an alternate world that just might be perfect, I searched with paints on my canvas. Not knowing what the finished perfect world would look like, I had to approach these paintings in a looser, more abstract style, different from the way I usually work. For this body of work, produced in both my Fort Lauderdale and Connecticut studios, the paint was my muse as well as my art director. I looked for hints and guidance from the pools and passages of paint on my canvas. My mantra during the process was "perfect world." I had no other notion in mind until a spill, a splash, a drop or a form suggested something concrete for me to articulate. Whatever direction the paint took, I dutifully followed along and pushed the concept.

The paint and I worked together. To my surprise, we arrived at supporting evidence for my artistic thesis: harmony between nature and humanity. We created worlds that were so perfect, that all their joyful inhabitants wanted to kiss the moon. And that's the way it should be in a perfect world!