A Ceiling and Four Walls
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Academic Level at Time of Creation
Senior
Date of Creation
Spring 4-30-2020
Artist Statement
When someone presents nothing about themselves to anyone other people rush in to fill the gaps in this person’s behavior. In my work I like to explore the tension between craving vulnerability and trying to hide yourself away. When I create an image, I try to think about what I can obscure and what I can reveal in the picture plane and how that impacts the meaning of the work. Layering imagery allows me to cover up and reveal different things in the composition, through this method, I can push certain things backwards and accentuate others by pulling them forward. I am drawn to high contrast and value because of its dual nature and as a reference to “black and white thinking”, which is prevalent in anxiety and stress.
When I look at other peoples’ work, I am most drawn to expressive line work and color in terms of their process. Artists like Ernst Kirchner, Rachel Whiteread, and Susan Lichtman interest me because of their use of highly saturated pigment and compositions that make the viewer feel unsettled. For me their works show how uncomfortable certain social interactions or spaces can become.
The subject matter of my work most often applies to my own life, but I use silhouetted figures and objects to create spaces, or situations that become universal. These spaces and figures become confusing and alarming with the addition of skewed perspective and unreadable details. The unavailability of the figure makes the viewer feel these people are unapproachable, anonymous, or dangerous in some way. By using shaped panels which speak in the language of theatre sets and I can create an environment in which the paintings interact more directly with each other and the viewer. This allows for a continuous narrative that can change depending on where things are in relation to one another.
Advisor/Mentor
Danille Muzina, Sarah Martin, Antje Gamble, Timothy Martin.
Description
The show A Ceiling and Four walls is comprised of lithographs, screenprints, a collograph, and oil paintings. The works explore vulnerability using domestic spaces. The image of the home is often used in conjunction with the figure to create a dialogue between the two. Often the relationship between the closed off homes and figures creates a sense of unease or tension.
Photo Credit
Cara Crowley
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Crowley, Cara, "A Ceiling and Four Walls" (2020). B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498). 60.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/60