1, 2, 4...

Artist: Lizée, Erika b. 1976

Date: 2021

Medium: Acrylic paint on panel

Artwork Dimensions: 24 x 36 x 2 in.

County Department: Medical Examiner

Artwork Site: Medical Examiner Old Administration Building

Supervisorial District: 1

Current Status: On view

About the Artwork: 1, 2, 4... represents the beginning phases of the cell division process that ultimately creates human life. The symbol of the singular zygote is painted with one set of hues, deep violets, which represent the essence of creation, emerging from a calm yet mysterious place. As the cell divides in two, we see a second color emerge in the center, merging blue violet and violet. As mitosis continues to create four cells, the colors expand to include four hues, with violets and blue violets traveling to the edges, while the center grows to reveal blues and blue greens. With each phase of cell division, we see the shapes and colors increase in beautiful complexity.

About the Artist: Erika Lizée was born in Chicago, Illinois, but grew up in a tiny town in Northern Wisconsin. Much of her childhood was spent exploring the woods, swimming the lakes and climbing the snowdrifts of this serene part of the country. Her upbringing fostered a strong connection to the natural world, which remains an important aspect of Lizée's life and artwork. Ms. Lizée creates expansive site-specific, illusionistic installations created with acrylic paint. She has created works within the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum in Mesa, AZ; the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, CA; the Pierce College Art Gallery in Woodland Hills, CA; the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, Palm Springs, CA; and the International Terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to name a few. Her work has been featured in Juxtapoz, Beautiful/Decay, HiFructose, The Huffington Post and Beautiful Bizarre magazines. Erika Lizée earned a BFA in Painting from UNC Asheville, and her MFA in Painting from CSU Northridge. She serves as the Visual Arts Department Chair at Moorpark College, as well as the Director of the Moorpark College Art Gallery. She lives and works in the greater Los Angeles area.