Tauna Cole – bio

Tauna Cole received her MFA with a minor in Women’s Studies from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM and her BFA from Boise State University. She has taught 2 D design and drawing at NMSU as Assistant Professor for almost 15 years. Her work is a reflection of self, identity and family, but also subtly employs metaphors and symbolism to investigate the impact of  aging and the shifting roles of relationships.

Artist Statement

Countless moments of reflection have brought me to the conclusion that the space I inhabit, the relationship with self and family, objects and nature, are some of the most important elements in making the work that I do in the studio. The space I wake up in, the space that I open my backdoor to and the people inhabiting these spaces, are what trigger moments of inspiration and expression. My immediate surroundings have become pieces of identity, memories and the physical and psychic aspects of self.

While my subjects are realistic, my interests have grown more formal in the abstracting of my subject. I have always been drawn to Matisse and Diebenkorn’s work for their ability to describe a space with color, light and shapes, creating a tension or relationship that leaves the viewer thinking more about these relationships rather than the details within the subject. Metaphor and symbolism are used to reflect on what it means as a woman aging into the mid-life period and the shifting roles in relationships based on perspective and observation. I am striving for similar results and searching for the balance between formal elements and the nature of the subject.