Cloud Renewal

Karen Hochman Brown created the work in Cloud Renewal during a period of sheltering in place in response to the need for safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. With plans for the foreseeable future canceled, the artist sought solace in the world of photography. An extensive collection of images, captured during what once felt like normal life, was used to reconnect with the outside world.

As a photography-based artist, Hochman Brown approaches her craft with precision and intent. The passion lies in chronicling some of nature’s most captivating elements, with a particular focus on flowers, waves, and clouds. Whether sourced from remote journeys or familiar locales, these images serve as pivotal points in her portfolio, emphasizing a commitment to elevating everyday natural wonders into art forms. This endeavor challenges observers to perceive the world through a more discerning lens. The artist employs distortion, reflection, and merging techniques on these images, resulting in the creation of otherworldly vistas. Viewers are invited to join the artist in an altered reality of beauty and symmetry.

The initial pieces created were expansive explorations of an unbounded sky adorned with flowers. The titles of these pieces indicate the locations where the cloud photographs were taken, with the flowers sourced from Hochman Brown’s own garden. These artworks are presented as lustrous face-mounted acrylic prints—deep and shiny, yet separated from the viewer behind a protective layer.