Welcome to the online catalog raisonné of Larry Roots. This archive displays over 2,400 artworks, created from 1986 to present. 

Artist Statement

“Relentlessly inquisitive” best describes me, both in the studio and in life. Simply stated: my quest is to seek it, find it, and do something with it. I have learned there are unlimited ways to find meaning in these pursuits. I have also found endless ways to express those experiences in the studio. Like an alchemist, an artist spends a lifetime learning the physics of paint and other mediums in order to produce a desired result, which is “what” you see. As a result of these explorations, my career reflects a wide range of interests that have evolved and become intertwined through the years. I could say that each of my works tells a story, recalls a memory, or is a mystery that requires/allows the viewer to complete it. With each project I challenge myself to exceed my expectations and, in the end, to please myself—a condition that has become increasingly difficult. When the finished piece pleases someone else, it’s comforting to know I’m not satisfied alone. Finally, I hope the viewer of these works feels at least some of the interest and enjoyment I had in making them. After all, art is a celebration of life for both of us.

Artist Bio

Larry Roots is a full time painter and sculptor that resides in Omaha, NE. He earned his B.A. in painting from the University of Northern Colorado where he was named Alumni of the Year for 2005 in the visual arts. He is owner/director of Modern Arts Midtown Fine Art Gallery, shows regionally and nationally, and is included in numerous corporate, public and private collections.

Norman Geske, Statement

Director, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, 1963 – 1983

“The paintings of Larry Roots are about color and form and light and dark, and surface and depth. At times they are bold and sonorous and at other times they can be subtle and mysterious. One of the most personal of his attributes as a painter is his use of line which can flicker and dance with a subliminal speed. It is a line which can be thin as a razor cut or as gestural as drunken inspiration - put down on paper or canvas with no hint of premeditation.

He has undertaken paintings as big as a wall where the repertory of color and line is far beyond the certainty of red, yellow and blue or the canonical divisions of vertical and horizontal. In such works his color and line are so deeply personal that one can only marvel at such fecundity.

In the end, his pleasure in the making can be ours.”