{"id":1863935,"date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1863935"},"modified":"2026-04-03T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T21:00:00","slug":"brushstrokes-transform-into-beaded-topographies-in-liza-lous-mixed-media-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1863935","title":{"rendered":"Brushstrokes Transform into Beaded Topographies in Liza Lou\u2019s Mixed-Media Paintings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1960\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-4-e1775221913929.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"An Abstract Expressionist mixed-media painting by Liza Lou with thousands of colorful beads representing brushstrokes\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cEnjambment\u201d (2025), oil paint and glass beads on<br \/>\nstretched canvas, 52 x 51 x 1.75 inches. Photos by Joshua White. All images \u00a9 Liza Lou, courtesy of Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, London, Paris, Salzburg, Milan, and Seoul, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Brushstrokes Transform into Beaded Topographies in Liza Lou\u2019s Mixed-Media Paintings<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-04-03T10:18:07-05:00\">April 3, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F04%2Fliza-lou-faq-beaded-paintings%2F&amp;title=Brushstrokes%20Transform%20into%20Beaded%20Topographies%20in%20Liza%20Lou%27s%20Mixed-Media%20Paintings\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"472343\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>One of the many reasons artists like Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Cy Twombly, and other mid-20th-century pioneers of painterly abstraction were so innovative for their time is the use of the deliberate yet loose brushstroke. Pollock intuitively dribbled and splattered paint on surfaces spread across the floor of his studio, and Kline created bold, monochromatic paintings with just a few deceptively simple, gestural strokes of a large brush. It\u2019s this visceral approach to visual rhythms and color that continues to awe us today. (A major retrospective highlighting both Krasner and Pollock\u2019s work is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/exhibitions\/krasner-and-pollock-past-continuous\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">slated for The Met<\/a> later this year.)<\/p>\n<p>For artist <a href=\"https:\/\/lizalou.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Liza Lou<\/a>, the calculation of brushstrokes, color, and gesture opens the door to another media type altogether\u2014beads. The artist is known for using the material, including a large-scale installation titled \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/whitney.org\/collection\/works\/34855\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kitchen<\/a>,\u201d which took five years to create. In her recent work, she adds thousands of the diminutive baubles in myriad colors, shapes, and sizes to sweeps of oil paint on canvas. Tapping into the legacy of Abstract Expressionism, Lou parses the relationship between gesture, intention, organic forms, and the brushstroke as a subject unto itself.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472343\" title=\"Detail of \u201cEnjambment\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cEnjambment\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cEnjambment\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1722\" height=\"1241\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-3.jpg\" alt=\"A detail of an Abstract Expressionist mixed-media painting by Liza Lou with thousands of colorful beads representing brushstrokes and splatters\" class=\"wp-image-472346\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cEnjambment\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lou\u2019s works appear this month in <em>FAQ<\/em>, a solo exhibition at <a href=\"https:\/\/ropac.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Thaddaeus Ropac<\/a>. The title references questions that the artist returns to again and again in her practice. When does a painting become <em>not <\/em>a painting? Can a brushstroke be more than a brushstroke? \u201cThese works are about amplification\u2014about making things more ideal,\u201d Lou says. \u201cThere\u2019s a poem by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Book_of_Disquiet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fernando Pessoa<\/a> where he writes about wanting flowers to be more flowers than flowers, and in this body of work I\u2019m using my material as a way to make paint more paint than paint.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unlike a quick swipe of a brush, each bead is meticulously placed amid a field of others, creating a chromatic topography. Lou likens them to painting \u201cstraight-out-of-the-tube,\u201d except that they can\u2019t be mixed on the canvas. She relies on color relationships, textures, and precise placement to give the impression that, from a distance, the loose strokes and splatters have blended or merged. When viewed up close, we see distinct, saturated topographies that, in a rather macro sense, are delightfully sculptural with the soft ground of painted details underneath. \u201cMy process involves this improv where every stroke requires everything I have, my full attention,\u201d Lou says. \u201cEvery mark becomes this kind of violin-crescendo-holy shit-experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>FAQ <\/em>opens on April 10 and continues through May 23 in London. See more on Lou\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/liza_lou_studio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472343\" title=\"\u201cOnomatopoeia\u201d (2026), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 52 x 51 x 1.75 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cOnomatopoeia\u201d (2026), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 52 x 51 x 1.75 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cOnomatopoeia\u201d (2026), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 52 x 51 x 1.75 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1962\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-6.jpg\" alt=\"An Abstract Expressionist mixed-media painting by Liza Lou with thousands of colorful beads representing brushstrokes\" class=\"wp-image-472349\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cOnomatopoeia\u201d (2026), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 52 x 51 x 1.75 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472343\" title=\"Detail of \u201cOnomatopoeia\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cOnomatopoeia\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cOnomatopoeia\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1899\" height=\"1469\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-5.jpg\" alt=\"A detail of an Abstract Expressionist mixed-media painting by Liza Lou with thousands of colorful beads representing brushstrokes and splatters\" class=\"wp-image-472348\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cOnomatopoeia\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472343\" title=\"\u201cAnalepsis\u201d (2025), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 42.75 x 41.75 x 1.75 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cAnalepsis\u201d (2025), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 42.75 x 41.75 x 1.75 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cAnalepsis\u201d (2025), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 42.75 x 41.75 x 1.75 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1947\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-8.jpg\" alt=\"An Abstract Expressionist mixed-media painting by Liza Lou with thousands of colorful beads representing brushstrokes\" class=\"wp-image-472351\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cAnalepsis\u201d (2025), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 42.75 x 41.75 x 1.75 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472343\" title=\"Detail of \u201cAnalepsis\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cAnalepsis\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cAnalepsis\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2044\" height=\"1587\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-7.jpg\" alt=\"A detail of an Abstract Expressionist mixed-media painting by Liza Lou with thousands of colorful beads representing brushstrokes\" class=\"wp-image-472350\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cAnalepsis\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472343\" title=\"\u201cStanza\u201d (2025), oil paint and glass beads on. stretched canvas, 52 x 51 x 1.75 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cStanza\u201d (2025), oil paint and glass beads on. stretched canvas, 52 x 51 x 1.75 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cStanza\u201d (2025), oil paint and glass beads on. stretched canvas, 52 x 51 x 1.75 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1959\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-2.jpg\" alt=\"An Abstract Expressionist mixed-media painting by Liza Lou with thousands of colorful beads representing brushstrokes\" class=\"wp-image-472345\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cStanza\u201d (2025), oil paint and glass beads on. stretched canvas, 52 x 51 x 1.75 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472343\" title=\"Detail of \u201cStanza\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cStanza\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cStanza\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1581\" height=\"1195\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-1.jpg\" alt=\"A detail of an Abstract Expressionist mixed-media painting by Liza Lou with thousands of colorful beads representing brushstrokes\" class=\"wp-image-472344\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cStanza\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-9.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472343\" title=\"\u201cEcphonesis\u201d (2026), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 42.75 x 41.75 x 1.75 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cEcphonesis\u201d (2026), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 42.75 x 41.75 x 1.75 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cEcphonesis\u201d (2026), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 42.75 x 41.75 x 1.75 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1955\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lou-9.jpg\" alt=\"An Abstract Expressionist mixed-media painting by Liza Lou with thousands of colorful beads representing brushstrokes\" class=\"wp-image-472352\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cEcphonesis\u201d (2026), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 42.75 x 41.75 x 1.75 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join us today!<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113464\">$7\/month<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113463\">$75\/year<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-chalk-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">Explore membership options<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"20\" height=\"21\" class=\"wp-image-327872\" style=\"width: 20px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arrow-left.svg\" alt><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<nav class=\"navigation post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"nav-links\">\n<div class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/04\/art-uk-digital-database-street-art-murals\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cEnjambment\u201d (2025), oil paint and glass beads on stretched canvas, 52 x 51 x 1.75 inches. Photos by Joshua White. All images \u00a9 Liza Lou, courtesy of Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, London, Paris, Salzburg, Milan, and Seoul, shared with permission Brushstrokes Transform into Beaded Topographies in Liza Lou\u2019s Mixed-Media Paintings April 3, 2026 Art Kate Mothes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-1863935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1863935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1863935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1863935\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1863935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1863935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1863935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}