"To decimate a mesh is to shed the burden of detail. By collapsing the polygonal count, we remove the ‘noise’ of the LiDAR scan to make it readable for the machine. It is an intentional act of forgetting."
Emma Webster is known for her transportive works at the new frontier of technology and painting. Each painting evolves from digital dioramas densely populated with individually created plants, animals, and ecosystems that explore landscape through the lens of still life. This digital sketchbook, published on the occasion of the artist's 2026 show at Petzel, offers a glimpse into her process and evolution of various sculptures, assets, and scenes.
Designer: Shaun Roberts
Editor: Dasha Matsuura
Publisher: Petzel Gallery and Emma Webster, 2026
Language: English
Softcover: 56 pages
Dimensions: 8 x 10.25 inches
ISBN: 978-1-7375595-4-2
About the Artist
Emma Webster graduated with her BA from Stanford University in 2011 and received her MFA in Painting from Yale University in 2018.
Solo exhibitions include Petzel, New York (2026); Petzel, New York (2025); Perrotin, Hong Kong (2025); Perrotin, Paris (2024); Jeffrey Deitch, Los Angeles (2023); Perrotin, Dosan Park, Seoul (2022); Stems Gallery, Brussels (2021); and Alexander Berggruen, New York (2021). Group exhibitions include White Cube Bermondsy, London (2025), Ochi Gallery, Ketchum, Idaho, Petzel, New York (2023); Max Hetzler, Berlin (2023); Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (2022); Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego (2022); among others.
Webster’s work is part of various public collections around the world, including the Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles, California; Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, Florida; Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, California; Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami, Florida; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio; Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China; The Warehouse, Dallas, Texas; and the Groeninghe Art Collection, Bruges, Belgium. She is based in Los Angeles, California.
