CurLyMeg88 - Artist Statement

ARTIST STATEMENT

January 2009

      My current work is going down two-paths. Some of it includes domesticated imagery, such as couches, trailers, appliances, interior spaces; all of which are very delapidated in appearance. Some of my work starts to have sexual connotations, as in “They Grow Up so Fast.” I create narrative pieces dealing with my own social struggles, insecurities, and personal experiences that can be related to a larger whole. My thesis work (2007-2005) dealt with these same social issues, but with the use of animal forms and mechanical structures. I look forward to continuing this investigation of my own personal domesticated issues through a series of mixed media, small-scale drawings with clutter and messes.

      My style of representation has a basis in direct observation and imaginary forms. I draw from personal experieces, memories of situations, as well as recordings of spaces and objects around me in everyday life. Using recognizable imagery gives an illusion of reality, a starting point to depart from, to give more informed decisions. Through this combination of visual references and imagined imagery I create figures in a "Frankenstein" like manner.

      I have always been interested in the narrative, the telling of a story. This comes from childhood experiences. I grew up watching Looney Toons cartoons, listening to bedtime stories, and being captivated by theatre work. There is a strong influence of entertainment modes in my past. When I take into account the deeper-seated meaning or message that was often times embedded within these early childhood influences, there seems to be a potentially darker side to what is portrayed. I find these types of narrative formats very appropriate to how I represent the content of my work.

      My own social and cultural desires, fears, and experiences translate into my work and are used to personalize my concepts. The imagery is sometimes cryptic, which can become provocative, or be inaccessible. My work can be read as a representation, questioning, and/ or critique of the state of today's human nature and condition.

      At its core, my work represents my relections on and experiences with the darker side of human nature. It is about a desire to reveal. The work is dismal and apocalyptic, rendered with intricate detail. The cartoon format becomes the bait to draw the viewer in. The detailed rendering is the hook to present the viewer with a more digestible version of a darker scenario. Often times it is balanced with a weird sense of humor or absurdity to soften the blow.

	MEGHAN O'CONNOR
	ARTIST STATEMENT January 2009 My current work is going down two-paths. Some of it includes domesticated imagery, such as couches, trailers, appliances, interior spaces; all of which are very delapidated in appearance. Some of my work starts to have sexual connotations, as in “They Grow Up so Fast.” I create narrative pieces dealing with my own social struggles, insecurities, and personal experiences that can be related to a larger whole. My thesis work (2007-2005) dealt with these same social issues, but with the use of animal forms and mechanical structures. I look forward to continuing this investigation of my own personal domesticated issues through a series of mixed media, small-scale drawings with clutter and messes. My style of representation has a basis in direct observation and imaginary forms. I draw from personal experieces, memories of situations, as well as recordings of spaces and objects around me in everyday life. Using recognizable imagery gives an illusion of reality, a starting point to depart from, to give more informed decisions. Through this combination of visual references and imagined imagery I create figures in a "Frankenstein" like manner. I have always been interested in the narrative, the telling of a story. This comes from childhood experiences. I grew up watching Looney Toons cartoons, listening to bedtime stories, and being captivated by theatre work. There is a strong influence of entertainment modes in my past. When I take into account the deeper-seated meaning or message that was often times embedded within these early childhood influences, there seems to be a potentially darker side to what is portrayed. I find these types of narrative formats very appropriate to how I represent the content of my work. My own social and cultural desires, fears, and experiences translate into my work and are used to personalize my concepts. The imagery is sometimes cryptic, which can become provocative, or be inaccessible. My work can be read as a representation, questioning, and/ or critique of the state of today's human nature and condition. At its core, my work represents my relections on and experiences with the darker side of human nature. It is about a desire to reveal. The work is dismal and apocalyptic, rendered with intricate detail. The cartoon format becomes the bait to draw the viewer in. The detailed rendering is the hook to present the viewer with a more digestible version of a darker scenario. Often times it is balanced with a weird sense of humor or absurdity to soften the blow.