Mernet Larsen, whose painting *Getting Measured* (1999) appears on the cover of the Winter 2025 issue of *Art in America*, discusses the work's origin and evolution in an interview from her home in Tampa, Florida. She explains how the painting marked a turning point from abstraction to a representational style inspired by 12th-century Japanese narrative painting and the parallel perspective technique used by architects, while also incorporating elements from her own abstract works and a self-portrait titled *Indecisive Woman*.
This profile matters because it illuminates the creative process behind a key work by an artist who has spent 25 years developing a distinctive approach to perspective and perception. Larsen's commentary challenges conventional notions of realism and illusionistic space, offering insight into how an artist can synthesize historical influences—from Piero della Francesca to Japanese scrolls—into a contemporary practice that questions the very nature of visual reality.