Reflections and Human Connections Resonate in Marina Kappos’ Optical Paintings
“Sun Study (Midnight)” (2024), acrylic on wood panel, 16 x 16 inches. All images courtesy of the artist, shared with permission
Reflections and Human Connections Resonate in Marina Kappos’ Optical Paintings
January 30, 2025
Art
Kate Mothes
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In physics, quantum entanglement describes how particles being generated, interacting, or in proximity to one another cannot have independent quantum states. Albert Einstein referred to this phenomenon as “spooky action at a distance.” In short, once particles have interacted, they remain connected, even if they are millions of light years apart.
For artist Marina Kappos, entanglement inspires an interest in frequency, resonance, and connection through painting. “In a peculiar way, I can relate to distant particles affecting one another because I have an identical twin sister,” she tells Colossal. “I have grown up with a mirrored reflection of myself, but one that is also independent and leading a different life than me. This unique perspective has created a lifelong bond of interconnectedness between my sister and me.”
“188” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 58 x 58 inches
Kappos describes her paintings, like her life, as a double or a mirror that reflects in myriad ways. She invokes a kind of “buzzing frequency and optical motion” that creates the impression that solid, distinct objects—like our bodies—are fluid or malleable.
“We are inextricably linked to one another and our surroundings,” the artist says. “Where does the body end and the universe begin? Vibration is a clue that it is closely related. These paintings, combined with my own life experience, have highlighted my evolving awareness of the nature of reality.”
Kappos applies acrylic paint in semi-transparent layers of color, which overlap to create a resonating or vibrating visual quality. She is interested in portraying human connections, especially women, often emphasizing profiles or hands because they hint at the body but may not be the first detail one notices when seeing reverberating, optical color effects. Many works have light and dark counterparts, like “Sister 1” and “Sister 2.”
“Like echoes, the repeated motifs almost have a Doppler effect, where there is an increase or decrease in frequency of light depending on where you stand,” Kappos says. “The ethereal, transparent layers of paint eventually become profiles of faces, sometimes melding into landscape, at times appearing out of focus, simply buzzing or humming along.”
“199 (Sister 1)” (2024), acrylic on wood panel, 24 x 24 inches
Many of these works were recently on view in her solo shows Ultraviolet Catastrophe at The Pit in Los Angeles and Spooky Action at Shrine in New York City. She currently has a piece in the group exhibition Soft Focus at The Hole’s Los Angeles location.
The artist is currently engaged in a residency in Paris at Résidence artistique Retina, a program established by a medical center in the heart of the city to improve the experience for hospital patients, visitors, and staff. Find more on Kappos’s website and Instagram.
“199 (Sister 2)” (2024), acrylic on wood panel, 24 x 24 inches
“Sun Study (Aurora)” (2024), acrylic on wood panel, 16 x 16 inches
“Vibrating Woman” (2020), acrylic on canvas, 72 x 120 inches
“179” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 58 x 58 inches
“Ultraviolet Study (Tangle)” (2024), acrylic on wood panel, 16 x 16 inches
“Spooky Action Study (Skull)” (2024), acrylic on wood panel, 16 x 16 inches
“Ultraviolet Study (Night Rider” (2024), acrylic on wood panel, 16 x 16 inches
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