Locust Projects is pleased to announce Shortness of Breath, a solo exhibition by Miami-based painter Natalya Laskis. Featuring the largest scale paintings made by the artist to date, Shortness of Breathshowcases the latest phase in the evolution and maturation of the artists' technique - using improvised tools such as broom brushes and skis to apply paint - and narrative.

Moving beyond the scenes of socially exclusive groups, such as motorcycle gangs and isolated farming communities that characterized Laskis' former work, Shortness of Breath pushes the artist's exploration of social archetypes into a realm of engagement rather than observation. Connections between individual works are fluid, with the narrative moving from one another and in between. Mining personal experiences for source material in this new body of work, Laskis departs from encapsulated representational scenes to an increasingly abstracted and emotionally-tuned visual language that transcends a single frame.

Working within an intuitive studio practice, the inter-woven narrative, imagery and palate of Shortness of Breath are a product of personal photographs, sourced objects, and found images. Using photography as a research tool, Laskis documents activities designed to confront her own fears, a fundamental area of investigation for the artist. From this, Laskis creates immersive experiences that enfold the viewer in a singular perspective - that of the photographs - at times dissolving into pure color. Seeking an emotional connectivity rather than representational accuracy, Laskis' loosened application of paint resists recognizable signs and symbols and melts from reality to abstraction in a manor akin to Francis Bacon and Cecily Brown. The results are catalytic moments of exploration and vulnerability, that resonate with the viewer's own emotional sensitivity.

Natalya Laskis was born in 1979 in Miami, where she lives and works. She received a B.F.A from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, and attended the New World School of the Arts in Miami. The artist recently participated in the group exhibition, Gloria Hole at The Fireplace Projects in Easthampton, New York. Laskis' solo exhibition, American Odyssey, was presented at Frederic Snitzer Gallery, Miami in 2009. The artists' work has also been included in exhibitions at David Castillo Gallery, and the Boca Raton Museum of Art, and the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood. Following her exhibition at Locust Projects, Laskis will be preparing for a solo exhibition in 2012 entitled Is This Love? at Galleria Glance, Torino, Italy.

Locust Projects’ exhibitions and programming are made possible with the support from: The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; Galt & Skye Mikesell; Hannibal Cox Jr. Foundation; John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners. Special thanks to Spinello Gallery, Miami, FL.