It's an understatement to say Viola Ursu's industrial design background speaks loud and clear within her work. Shape and form dominate. Images are constructed with a defined and deft precision. Yet she moves freely and unrestricted along the paths of Abstraction, Pop Art and Conceptualism. Sit back, scroll down and enjoy the exceptional work. No matter which trail she leads you down, rest assured you'll always be guided back to the highway that is 'The Minimalist Perspective'.
— Mark Wegner

An interview with Viola Ursu follows the exhibit images

VSonoma: Welcome Viola and could you tell us a little about your show?

Viola Ursu: Merci Mark for your invitation and I appreciate VSONOMA for both it's vision and contemporary approach. I'm presenting a selection of images from my work and have titled this show 'The Minimalist Perspective'.

VSonoma: How did you initially get interested in Photography?

Viola Ursu: My academic background in Industrial Design has been a large influence in my art. During my studies I needed documentary material for my research work so I begin using photography for that purpose. At that time the documentation was presented primarily with black & white photos.

VSonoma: ...and when did you get serious about it?

Viola Ursu: Along the way I begin to discover the possibilities offered by photography, especially when the tools and improvements through digital technology became available. My Canon camera then became much more than just a studio accessory and soon was an essential part of my approach to art and research.

VSonoma: What are your favorite subjects or areas of interest?

Viola Ursu: I must clarify that I do not focus on any particular subject. I touch on several themes and the ultimate step with the images is to build an engaging portfolio and presentation. I strive to have my images offer substantial contrast and differences from one to the next.

 VSonoma: Please tell us about your style and process.

Viola Ursu: Process wise I work in stages. The selection of photographs is followed by digital processing (indispensable) during which the technical and creative aspects both play an important role. It is this part of the work that fascinates me the most in achieving my objective — perfecting the photo and arriving at the essential goal. The Minimalist Image.

In the foreseeable future I'll continue to pursue my work along these same lines — deepening my understanding of minimalism in general. I'll also begin to approach a new stage of my work within conceptual minimalism.

VSonoma: Do you cite any other photographers, artists or inspirations in general as influencing your work?

Viola Ursu: I have several including Contemporary Design, Dada Stream, Fluxus, Modern Art, Happening, Art of Installation, Art-Video, Yayoi Kusama, PopArt and Nerhol. Each are a great source of inspiration for me.

VSonoma: Lastly, if you could fly anywhere in the world to make photographs, where would it be and why?

Viola Ursu: I would fly to India for its incredible diversity of color, texture and structures. Also with the numerous festivities there are so many things to photograph. The blue city of Jodhpur and the pink one of Jaipur are two examples that come to mind.

VSonoma: Thank you for this interview Viola

Viola Ursu is Plastic Arts teacher in Montreal, Quebec where she lives with her family.
To learn about Viola and her work, visit her on Facebook.

All images © Viola Ursu