April Gornik is a painter originally from Cleveland, Ohio. Gornik’s artworks focus on depictions of the American landscape, seen through a dreamlike lens that sometimes obscures or skews real-world views and appearances. The artist’s body of work addresses her country’s fraught history with and relationship to nature and the wilderness.  

Gornik’s studio space looks large and bright. The hardwood floors lend a beautiful coziness to a space that might otherwise feel like a warehouse. It’s interesting that the artist’s paintings all seem to be stacked against the wall – I wonder if these are finished works, or if she’s working on several pieces at once. Either way, it’s always interesting to be able to see an artist’s works in their “natural habitat,” in an arrangement that might not occur in a formal exhibition space.

The two tables behind the artist are stuffed with supplies without any visual rhyme or reason. It’s kind of nice to see that bit of clutter contrasted with the cleanliness of the rest of the artist’s space. And, of course, there’s a studio cat – Gornik’s pet makes me think of the studio of Edward Gorey, or perhaps Lily Stockman.

I’m struck by the amount of space in this studio – the floor looks big and empty enough for the artist to dance on. I wonder what Gornik is looking at – she seems enthralled by something off the left side of the picture plane. Perhaps there’s a large window on that end of the studio?

Gornik’s works have been extensively exhibited throughout the United States, and internationally. Her paintings exist in the collections of museums such as the Met, the Whitney, MoMA, and the National Museum of American Art. She currently lives in North Haven, Long Island, New York.

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