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Beyond, Behind, Beneath
Narrative Self-Portraiture
National Juried virtual Exhibition
May 22 - August 11, 2020
The South Haven Center for the Arts invited artists from across the nation to create narrative self-portraits. Artists were asked to take inspiration from the exhibition Frida Kahlo’s Garden—a National Endowment for the Humanities traveling exhibit that presents an intimate look at how nature and culture nourished Kahlo's creativity and informed the narrative in her art.
"I paint self-portraits because I am the person I know best. I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to and I paint whatever passes through my head without any consideration." ~Frida Kahlo
Gratitude by Alayne Sahar
Media: watercolor on Arches 140lb cold press paper
Size: 13" x 19"
City & State: Ambler, Pennsylvania
Alayne Sahar is a figurative watercolor painter whose aesthetic depicts the female figure in the natural
world where the mood is romantic and the women are portrayed as ardent poetic beings who evoke the soulful side of femininity. Her work portrays the relationship between nature and something more mystical....This painting titled Gratitude is a self portrait of me in my most sacred place - the garden.
Size: 13" x 19"
City & State: Ambler, Pennsylvania
Alayne Sahar is a figurative watercolor painter whose aesthetic depicts the female figure in the natural
world where the mood is romantic and the women are portrayed as ardent poetic beings who evoke the soulful side of femininity. Her work portrays the relationship between nature and something more mystical....This painting titled Gratitude is a self portrait of me in my most sacred place - the garden.
Spaces by Jeanette Hammerstein
Media: painting, oil on canvas
Size: 12" x 30"
City & State: Bloomington, Indiana
I have worked as an ER physician for the last 20 years and began painting about 5 years ago. "Spaces" is an attempt to express the somewhat off-centered place a doctor works in. The woman is representational of myself and her posture suggests she is typing, turned away from the viewer or patient. A place I often am guilty of being found in.
This work attempts to show a bit "beyond, behind, and beneath..."
Size: 12" x 30"
City & State: Bloomington, Indiana
I have worked as an ER physician for the last 20 years and began painting about 5 years ago. "Spaces" is an attempt to express the somewhat off-centered place a doctor works in. The woman is representational of myself and her posture suggests she is typing, turned away from the viewer or patient. A place I often am guilty of being found in.
This work attempts to show a bit "beyond, behind, and beneath..."
Logical Fallacy III by Eana Agopian
Media: cut paper collage with image transfer, colored pencil, acrylic paint, glitter, polyresin
Size: 14" x 14"
City & State: Kalamazoo, Michigan
My artwork embraces the progressive nature of transformation. Inspired by transformational aspects of the creative process, this work draws on themes of alchemy, psychology, and various modes of sensual perception to explore realms of the unknown, as well as magical and mysterious spaces. Allowing materials and processes to guide the creation, a great depth of insight into the unseen aspects of the mind can be revealed, illustrating visually that which cannot be explained through written language or science. Embracing the unknown from the initial stages, I allow process and intuition to guide my work. I build layer upon layer, each one distinct, and a reaction to the previous stage. To create this type of work is to embrace the natural power of metamorphosis, the distinct stages along the way, and the acceptance that outcomes are not always known.
To view more of Eana's work, click the link below
Size: 14" x 14"
City & State: Kalamazoo, Michigan
My artwork embraces the progressive nature of transformation. Inspired by transformational aspects of the creative process, this work draws on themes of alchemy, psychology, and various modes of sensual perception to explore realms of the unknown, as well as magical and mysterious spaces. Allowing materials and processes to guide the creation, a great depth of insight into the unseen aspects of the mind can be revealed, illustrating visually that which cannot be explained through written language or science. Embracing the unknown from the initial stages, I allow process and intuition to guide my work. I build layer upon layer, each one distinct, and a reaction to the previous stage. To create this type of work is to embrace the natural power of metamorphosis, the distinct stages along the way, and the acceptance that outcomes are not always known.
To view more of Eana's work, click the link below
Potted by Kelly Vander Kley
Media: painting, watercolor
Size: 24" x 36"
City & State: Mattawan, Michigan
I work to create beauty by manipulating earth, plants and elements of nature. The measure of beauty I seek is often one set within parameters designated by others. Beauty is roses perfectly planted and trimmed, red, blooming. To achieve this human-identified level of perfection, there is a continuous battle with nature as She works to maintain what really is beautiful and functional, regardless of what the human ideals are. We strive for our ideal of perfection and it often finds us in combat with the Earth itself. We push and She pushes back. “Potted” is a story about my struggle to grow the ideals of beauty in an environment that is not welcoming to human concepts, otherwise known as Nature. Repeating patterns speak to the constant staccato of repetitive work as nature fights back with weeds or draught, floods or freeze. My self is without color and the plants grow from within my own soul. I garden. I paint. She fights us in our efforts. The struggle for beauty grows from our own bones.
To view more of Kelly's work, click the link below
Size: 24" x 36"
City & State: Mattawan, Michigan
I work to create beauty by manipulating earth, plants and elements of nature. The measure of beauty I seek is often one set within parameters designated by others. Beauty is roses perfectly planted and trimmed, red, blooming. To achieve this human-identified level of perfection, there is a continuous battle with nature as She works to maintain what really is beautiful and functional, regardless of what the human ideals are. We strive for our ideal of perfection and it often finds us in combat with the Earth itself. We push and She pushes back. “Potted” is a story about my struggle to grow the ideals of beauty in an environment that is not welcoming to human concepts, otherwise known as Nature. Repeating patterns speak to the constant staccato of repetitive work as nature fights back with weeds or draught, floods or freeze. My self is without color and the plants grow from within my own soul. I garden. I paint. She fights us in our efforts. The struggle for beauty grows from our own bones.
To view more of Kelly's work, click the link below
Self-Portrait by Michelle Shaw
Media: oil painting
Size: 9" x 12"
City & State: Portland, Oregon
I was raised in the country where life was full of open space and free-time. My hometown is a farm community known for agriculture--the main star is watermelon. As kids we went to watermelon fields to break the green ball open on the ground, eating the fruit with our hands. When I mention my town people say, “oh yeah, where the watermelons come from.”
The place is the quintessential small town. One that is isolated but definitely not alone. People know one another from birth to death and everything between. In contrast to the melon, filled with water and sweetness, our town is a dry desert seemingly made of blue sky. My childhood memories involve quiet sunsets, sounds of sprinklers and fields upon fields of watermelon.
I have since left my small town behind, but being from a place like that takes hold and doesn’t let go. My life, now far the expansive fields, is filled with adult worries. Yet, I still have that piece of me that harbors the sense of home like a watermelon backdrop.
To view more of Michelle's work, Instagram @brushtalk23
Size: 9" x 12"
City & State: Portland, Oregon
I was raised in the country where life was full of open space and free-time. My hometown is a farm community known for agriculture--the main star is watermelon. As kids we went to watermelon fields to break the green ball open on the ground, eating the fruit with our hands. When I mention my town people say, “oh yeah, where the watermelons come from.”
The place is the quintessential small town. One that is isolated but definitely not alone. People know one another from birth to death and everything between. In contrast to the melon, filled with water and sweetness, our town is a dry desert seemingly made of blue sky. My childhood memories involve quiet sunsets, sounds of sprinklers and fields upon fields of watermelon.
I have since left my small town behind, but being from a place like that takes hold and doesn’t let go. My life, now far the expansive fields, is filled with adult worries. Yet, I still have that piece of me that harbors the sense of home like a watermelon backdrop.
To view more of Michelle's work, Instagram @brushtalk23
Invasive Species by Ian Welch
Media: printmaking, Intaglio
Size: 13" x 19"
City & State: Toledo, Ohio
Hiraeth: The implication of missing a time, place or person that may or may not have existed or exists no longer. Welsh in origin.
Being an only child, there is a particular dynamic I feel must fulfill- that of the caretaker, the legacy, the “good son.” As I grow older, I am constantly reassessing my place within a shrinking family unit, and with the recent loss of my father, mourning permeates both the mundane and the sacred. My work is a reflection on the experiences of returning home, and recognizing my past less and less; memories, objects, and even the people I love are no longer the way I remember them and out of necessity must be reassigned and sorted. Figures are often overburdened by an accumulation of marks, signifying the act of remembrance. Gestures of appreciation and the warmth of the home are often recontextualized with objects of labor serving as a reminder of how the act of homecoming is often charged with obligations and duties as well as being a time of happiness.
To view more of Ian's work, click the link below
Size: 13" x 19"
City & State: Toledo, Ohio
Hiraeth: The implication of missing a time, place or person that may or may not have existed or exists no longer. Welsh in origin.
Being an only child, there is a particular dynamic I feel must fulfill- that of the caretaker, the legacy, the “good son.” As I grow older, I am constantly reassessing my place within a shrinking family unit, and with the recent loss of my father, mourning permeates both the mundane and the sacred. My work is a reflection on the experiences of returning home, and recognizing my past less and less; memories, objects, and even the people I love are no longer the way I remember them and out of necessity must be reassigned and sorted. Figures are often overburdened by an accumulation of marks, signifying the act of remembrance. Gestures of appreciation and the warmth of the home are often recontextualized with objects of labor serving as a reminder of how the act of homecoming is often charged with obligations and duties as well as being a time of happiness.
To view more of Ian's work, click the link below
Gary Damaged by Gary Miller
Media: mixed media on board
Size: 9" x 12"
City & State: San Francisco, California
As a child I was raised by very resourceful parents who make use of everything and found multiple uses for everyday objects – this fed my young fertile creative mind. Being surrounded by this resourcefulness and made me view everything differently seeing potential in everyday objects was second nature.
I was quite clumsy and was always getting cuts and bruises but had no idea until I was much older how that would influence my personal and professional life. Ready-made tapes and band-aids mixed with line drawing, painting, collage and wire all blend together to create self-portraits that have texture and color that works harmoniously capturing the various colors of skin.
To view more of Gary's work, Instagram @garyandmiller
Size: 9" x 12"
City & State: San Francisco, California
As a child I was raised by very resourceful parents who make use of everything and found multiple uses for everyday objects – this fed my young fertile creative mind. Being surrounded by this resourcefulness and made me view everything differently seeing potential in everyday objects was second nature.
I was quite clumsy and was always getting cuts and bruises but had no idea until I was much older how that would influence my personal and professional life. Ready-made tapes and band-aids mixed with line drawing, painting, collage and wire all blend together to create self-portraits that have texture and color that works harmoniously capturing the various colors of skin.
To view more of Gary's work, Instagram @garyandmiller
Flower Child by Patricia Shaw
Media: ceramic and bronze
Size: 9" x 4" x 5"
City & State: Chapel Hill, Nevada
This piece expresses what I was 50 years and how I've maintained my underlying spirit despite the changes in my physical appearance.
Size: 9" x 4" x 5"
City & State: Chapel Hill, Nevada
This piece expresses what I was 50 years and how I've maintained my underlying spirit despite the changes in my physical appearance.
Sunscreen Squirm by Miriam Esteve
Media: oil on canvas
Size: 18" x 24"
City & State: Key Biscayne, Florida
I paint in oil or acrylic on canvas. My paintings have a narrative, illustrative style and often have an expressionistic slant. I paint from personal photographs that trigger memories of a beloved place, time or person. The visual cues that trigger memory intrigue me. I paint narrative scenes that include these visual cues for me.
My paintings capture the specific individual gestures and facial expressions. I find it fascinating how these stay the same for a person over time. For this exhibit’s theme, I have selected three of my paintings that are self portraits. "Sunscreen Squirm” places me in the beach with one of my sons. The sea is a strong source of inspiration for me, and much of my life experience has been by the water or on the water.
To view more of Miriam's work, Instagram @miriestevepaints
Size: 18" x 24"
City & State: Key Biscayne, Florida
I paint in oil or acrylic on canvas. My paintings have a narrative, illustrative style and often have an expressionistic slant. I paint from personal photographs that trigger memories of a beloved place, time or person. The visual cues that trigger memory intrigue me. I paint narrative scenes that include these visual cues for me.
My paintings capture the specific individual gestures and facial expressions. I find it fascinating how these stay the same for a person over time. For this exhibit’s theme, I have selected three of my paintings that are self portraits. "Sunscreen Squirm” places me in the beach with one of my sons. The sea is a strong source of inspiration for me, and much of my life experience has been by the water or on the water.
To view more of Miriam's work, Instagram @miriestevepaints
Self-Portrait by Blair Treuer
Media: photograph of fiber art piece
Size: 20" x 24"
City & State: Bemidji, Minnesota
As a white woman, the only non-Native American in my immediate family, my work is about my reflections as an outsider and about the emotional rollercoaster I often ride as I stand fixed on the outside, but privileged enough to look in. It's not just about the pieces of Ojibwe culture I’ve been allowed to see, but also what it’s allowed me to see within myself, and even to recognize what cannot be found there. My self portrait is about the cocktail of both despair and hope that I feel as a mother and wife and about my purpose in this world. I am of Scandinavian decent but I don’t even know what that means to me. I have hope. The antlers are on top of my head as if to say, there is something incredible about me too. I also possess a spectacular gift. I can’t see it but I can feel it as though it’s within my very bones, past down from my ancient tribe too. And someday I’ll know how to use it and be empowered by it.
To view more of Blair's work, click the link below
Size: 20" x 24"
City & State: Bemidji, Minnesota
As a white woman, the only non-Native American in my immediate family, my work is about my reflections as an outsider and about the emotional rollercoaster I often ride as I stand fixed on the outside, but privileged enough to look in. It's not just about the pieces of Ojibwe culture I’ve been allowed to see, but also what it’s allowed me to see within myself, and even to recognize what cannot be found there. My self portrait is about the cocktail of both despair and hope that I feel as a mother and wife and about my purpose in this world. I am of Scandinavian decent but I don’t even know what that means to me. I have hope. The antlers are on top of my head as if to say, there is something incredible about me too. I also possess a spectacular gift. I can’t see it but I can feel it as though it’s within my very bones, past down from my ancient tribe too. And someday I’ll know how to use it and be empowered by it.
To view more of Blair's work, click the link below
Alice by Lindsay Hirsch
Media: painting, watercolor on paper
Size: 18" x 24"
City & State: Valley Village, California
I placed myself in the “Alice” part of this series. The circumstances and situations I had been through in that year had made me feel like the famous heroine from “Alice” who had found herself in situations and experiences that she could not understand and had to “experience” as opposed to traditional understanding. In life, we often have situations that are beyond our immediate understanding and for which we simply need to “experience” and perhaps draw meaning from later.
To view more of Lindsay's work, click the link below
Size: 18" x 24"
City & State: Valley Village, California
I placed myself in the “Alice” part of this series. The circumstances and situations I had been through in that year had made me feel like the famous heroine from “Alice” who had found herself in situations and experiences that she could not understand and had to “experience” as opposed to traditional understanding. In life, we often have situations that are beyond our immediate understanding and for which we simply need to “experience” and perhaps draw meaning from later.
To view more of Lindsay's work, click the link below
Self-Portrait In The Style Of Frida Kahlo by Kimberly Lyons
Media: painting, digital
Size: 11" x 14"
City & State: Glendale, California
For a butterfly to emerge from a cocoon it has to transform by eating itself. Digesting everything inside to a pimordial goo and reconfiguring into something entirely different. This type of journey has metophorically happened to me in recent years making me truly look at who I am now outside my cocoon. Frida also went thru many stages and changes. Strong and passionate she explored herself as a subject thru paintings while also creating her story. I feel drawn to her as a soul sister from another time embracing who I am and being less afraid of what self discovery may bring. Creating a portrait of myself has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. It feels vulnerable and raw. My love of color, pattern, my cats, butterflies, flowers, and brushes are all within. Honoring the world as it is. Carrying meaning while also helping the viewer glimpse a portion of who I am and who I aspire to be.
To view more of Kimberly's work, Instagram @hearheroar
Size: 11" x 14"
City & State: Glendale, California
For a butterfly to emerge from a cocoon it has to transform by eating itself. Digesting everything inside to a pimordial goo and reconfiguring into something entirely different. This type of journey has metophorically happened to me in recent years making me truly look at who I am now outside my cocoon. Frida also went thru many stages and changes. Strong and passionate she explored herself as a subject thru paintings while also creating her story. I feel drawn to her as a soul sister from another time embracing who I am and being less afraid of what self discovery may bring. Creating a portrait of myself has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. It feels vulnerable and raw. My love of color, pattern, my cats, butterflies, flowers, and brushes are all within. Honoring the world as it is. Carrying meaning while also helping the viewer glimpse a portion of who I am and who I aspire to be.
To view more of Kimberly's work, Instagram @hearheroar
What Lies Beneath by Cary Okoro
Media: digital print
Size: 7.75" x 10.25"
City & State: East Grand Rapids, Michigan
As an artist and filmmaker, I am drawn to finding ‘beauty in the broken places’ as I explore themes of memory, trauma and identity. Using a variety of media and techniques, including found objects, photographs, blind contour drawing and collage, I like to undermine traditional modes of image-making and storytelling in order to help viewers see new perspectives. With this work, I am exploring how layers of experience and memory form identity. In "What Lies Beneath," I wanted to visualize the subterranean (or subconscious) strata of traumatic experiences and how they are both pushed down or suppressed, but also are still present, at times rising up and influencing our behavior and relationships. In “You Knew What You Were Doing," an ambiguous figure is upended, the clothing is partially missing as if digitally worn away, and the title indicates injury. Each of these works is an extended self-portrait—a visualized aspect or traumatic experience from my life that is both unique and relatable by many who have experienced trauma or injury. With these pieces, I hope to take the viewer "Beyond, Behind and Beneath" the traditional self-portrait by revealing the deeper layers of who we are.
To view more of Cary's work, Instagram @caryokoro, Gallery: Fuller Art House in Sylvania, OH
Size: 7.75" x 10.25"
City & State: East Grand Rapids, Michigan
As an artist and filmmaker, I am drawn to finding ‘beauty in the broken places’ as I explore themes of memory, trauma and identity. Using a variety of media and techniques, including found objects, photographs, blind contour drawing and collage, I like to undermine traditional modes of image-making and storytelling in order to help viewers see new perspectives. With this work, I am exploring how layers of experience and memory form identity. In "What Lies Beneath," I wanted to visualize the subterranean (or subconscious) strata of traumatic experiences and how they are both pushed down or suppressed, but also are still present, at times rising up and influencing our behavior and relationships. In “You Knew What You Were Doing," an ambiguous figure is upended, the clothing is partially missing as if digitally worn away, and the title indicates injury. Each of these works is an extended self-portrait—a visualized aspect or traumatic experience from my life that is both unique and relatable by many who have experienced trauma or injury. With these pieces, I hope to take the viewer "Beyond, Behind and Beneath" the traditional self-portrait by revealing the deeper layers of who we are.
To view more of Cary's work, Instagram @caryokoro, Gallery: Fuller Art House in Sylvania, OH
Take My Eyes by Collin Adams
Media: photography, digital painting/collage
Size: 24" x 18"
City & State: Lake Charles, Louisiana
With this series of self portraits I wanted to combine photography and abstract depictions of self. I wanted to show my surroundings and their influence. Old photos holding nostalgia for me and recent ones showing a current reality but both seen undistinguished from each other to demonstrate how they make up who I am. What I choose to focus on and my thoughts written over top. Digital art is usually known for being forgiving and multiple layers can make for easy adjustments but with these I kept everything on one layer as I went. It became this gestural stream of consciousness with placement and mark making. I found this reminiscent of traditional collaging and it brought this messy and destructive element to what is normally seen as a clean and precise medium. The accuracy and detail of photography meeting the imperfection of a painterly technique. This combination for me symbolizing the duality of thought being both logical and abstract, both needed for me to make a self portrait.
To view more of Collin's work, Instagram @sketch_study
Size: 24" x 18"
City & State: Lake Charles, Louisiana
With this series of self portraits I wanted to combine photography and abstract depictions of self. I wanted to show my surroundings and their influence. Old photos holding nostalgia for me and recent ones showing a current reality but both seen undistinguished from each other to demonstrate how they make up who I am. What I choose to focus on and my thoughts written over top. Digital art is usually known for being forgiving and multiple layers can make for easy adjustments but with these I kept everything on one layer as I went. It became this gestural stream of consciousness with placement and mark making. I found this reminiscent of traditional collaging and it brought this messy and destructive element to what is normally seen as a clean and precise medium. The accuracy and detail of photography meeting the imperfection of a painterly technique. This combination for me symbolizing the duality of thought being both logical and abstract, both needed for me to make a self portrait.
To view more of Collin's work, Instagram @sketch_study
The Magician, Tarot del Río de las Ánimas Perdidas by Brandin Barón
Media: digital illustration on parchment with ink, gouache, and enamel, print 1/6
Size: 16" x 13"
City & State: San Francisco, California
In the act of marketing artwork onto social media, artists have become increasingly present symbols attached to their output. In each of my past collections of artwork, I have typically completed one self-portrait related to the style of work within each series, and all three of my submissions to "Beyond..." are from this collection history. Like Kahlo, or more closely, Velázquez, I'm interested in the presence of my artist's self to create mysterious symbols within my work that add additional layers of interpretation for viewers who recognize me therein.
To view more of Brandin's work, click the link below
Size: 16" x 13"
City & State: San Francisco, California
In the act of marketing artwork onto social media, artists have become increasingly present symbols attached to their output. In each of my past collections of artwork, I have typically completed one self-portrait related to the style of work within each series, and all three of my submissions to "Beyond..." are from this collection history. Like Kahlo, or more closely, Velázquez, I'm interested in the presence of my artist's self to create mysterious symbols within my work that add additional layers of interpretation for viewers who recognize me therein.
To view more of Brandin's work, click the link below
Rocked It by Chelsea Younkman
Media: drawing, charcoal on paper
Size: 22" x 30"
City & State: Toledo, Ohio
This portrait was my first self-portrait since I lost 100lbs two years ago. I wanted to examine the anatomical structure of my face since changing my lifestyle. I drew myself in a hat to represent a more confident, healthier version of myself.
To view more of Chelsea's work, click the link below
Size: 22" x 30"
City & State: Toledo, Ohio
This portrait was my first self-portrait since I lost 100lbs two years ago. I wanted to examine the anatomical structure of my face since changing my lifestyle. I drew myself in a hat to represent a more confident, healthier version of myself.
To view more of Chelsea's work, click the link below
Selfie Portrait: Hashtag Meme by Mark Sisson
Media: linocut, woodcut, lithograph
Size: 12.5" x 16.5"
City & State: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Best in Show 1st Place Winner
"A recent survey conducted* calculated that the average millennial could take nearly 26,000 selfies in their lifetime. In the US alone there are 80 million millennials who are sharing these selfies (and other photos) daily, hourly, by the minute/second. We are awash in an ocean of digital dreck. Prior generations could bury their rubbish in landfills or have cleansings like incineration, but this material is out there for perpetuity in virtual clouds that will continue to rain upon future generations.
Against this backdrop I ask, “What is the value of a portrait?” “What is the value of an object?” What is the value of something actual versus something virtual?
*By a tooth whitening company"
To view more of Mark's work, Instagram @markdsisson
Size: 12.5" x 16.5"
City & State: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Best in Show 1st Place Winner
"A recent survey conducted* calculated that the average millennial could take nearly 26,000 selfies in their lifetime. In the US alone there are 80 million millennials who are sharing these selfies (and other photos) daily, hourly, by the minute/second. We are awash in an ocean of digital dreck. Prior generations could bury their rubbish in landfills or have cleansings like incineration, but this material is out there for perpetuity in virtual clouds that will continue to rain upon future generations.
Against this backdrop I ask, “What is the value of a portrait?” “What is the value of an object?” What is the value of something actual versus something virtual?
*By a tooth whitening company"
To view more of Mark's work, Instagram @markdsisson
I Voted by Jim Whaley
Media: digital art on canvas
Size: 18" x 18"
City & State: Chilton, Wisconsin
Wisconsin voters were told to stay home and stay safe. Except that it was vital to vote in person for unspecified reasons. I left my home and voted. Potentially infecting my friends and neighbors if I’m sick, or infecting me if they are. So I have a festive “I Voted” sticker and a big grin. There’s a stay home order in effect here but WI insisted on in-person voting. Whenever I go outside the house, I dutifully don mask and gloves and keep a constant 6 foot space from other humans. I’m over 60 years old, had cancer twice, basically the exact profile of someone you don’t want being out and about unnecessarily.
But still, I left the house this morning and went into an enclosed place that a fairly large percentage of the town population might pass through today. My friends and neighbors either played Russian Roulette with exposure to a deadly virus or had to skip participating in democracy from fear of the health risk.
I don’t know if I made the right choice going outside today. And I certainly sympathize with anyone who stayed home. I absolutely repect either choice. But the tragedy is that it’s a choice that we should never have had to make. Our lawmakers have acted in direct opposition to our best interests. And all I can do is help spread the word.
To view more of Jim's work, click the link below
Size: 18" x 18"
City & State: Chilton, Wisconsin
Wisconsin voters were told to stay home and stay safe. Except that it was vital to vote in person for unspecified reasons. I left my home and voted. Potentially infecting my friends and neighbors if I’m sick, or infecting me if they are. So I have a festive “I Voted” sticker and a big grin. There’s a stay home order in effect here but WI insisted on in-person voting. Whenever I go outside the house, I dutifully don mask and gloves and keep a constant 6 foot space from other humans. I’m over 60 years old, had cancer twice, basically the exact profile of someone you don’t want being out and about unnecessarily.
But still, I left the house this morning and went into an enclosed place that a fairly large percentage of the town population might pass through today. My friends and neighbors either played Russian Roulette with exposure to a deadly virus or had to skip participating in democracy from fear of the health risk.
I don’t know if I made the right choice going outside today. And I certainly sympathize with anyone who stayed home. I absolutely repect either choice. But the tragedy is that it’s a choice that we should never have had to make. Our lawmakers have acted in direct opposition to our best interests. And all I can do is help spread the word.
To view more of Jim's work, click the link below
The Journey by Bonnie Wedge
Media: fiber art, repurposed wool
Size: 17.5" x 17.5"
City & State: Albert Lea, Minnesota
I like to think I’m not behind the times with my stitching, birding, growing, recycling and reading. Not just another retired art teacher filling her days, but one enjoying a life that has spread out beyond me in all these wonderful directions. Beneath it all, I have the time and support of family to keep asking the question, “what if ?”
My self-portrait has symbols and dates from different times and aspects of my life. Birth, marriage, two daughters, art teacher, artist, reader, birder, gardener, trip to Oaxaca. Being a recycler, I have made the artwork using all repurposed wool, that I have stitched, embroidered and embellished with found objects.
Contact info: bjwedge47@yahoo.com
Work currently on display at Albert Lea Art Center.
Size: 17.5" x 17.5"
City & State: Albert Lea, Minnesota
I like to think I’m not behind the times with my stitching, birding, growing, recycling and reading. Not just another retired art teacher filling her days, but one enjoying a life that has spread out beyond me in all these wonderful directions. Beneath it all, I have the time and support of family to keep asking the question, “what if ?”
My self-portrait has symbols and dates from different times and aspects of my life. Birth, marriage, two daughters, art teacher, artist, reader, birder, gardener, trip to Oaxaca. Being a recycler, I have made the artwork using all repurposed wool, that I have stitched, embroidered and embellished with found objects.
Contact info: bjwedge47@yahoo.com
Work currently on display at Albert Lea Art Center.
Sideways Self Portrait With Flowers by Mary Nash
Media: synthetic polymer on canvas
Size: 18" x 24"
City & State: Vienna, Virginia
Mary Nash utilizes personal exploration of the Fine Arts through idiosyncratic imagery, pursuing underground culture and art, including sub-cultural expressions which exist under the radar of mainstream art. Nash's imagery includes influences from popular culture as she combines elements of "High" or Fine Art and "Low" or popular/primitive culture and art. Although Nash is a trained artist, her images have a flattened graphic style because she has been influenced by popular culture and graphic novels. "Sideways Self Portrait with Flowers" shows Nash's flattened face emerging from a floral vase and surrounded by levitating flowers and a lit candle which evoke the feeling of a simple shrine or ritual.
To view more of Mary's work, click the link below
Size: 18" x 24"
City & State: Vienna, Virginia
Mary Nash utilizes personal exploration of the Fine Arts through idiosyncratic imagery, pursuing underground culture and art, including sub-cultural expressions which exist under the radar of mainstream art. Nash's imagery includes influences from popular culture as she combines elements of "High" or Fine Art and "Low" or popular/primitive culture and art. Although Nash is a trained artist, her images have a flattened graphic style because she has been influenced by popular culture and graphic novels. "Sideways Self Portrait with Flowers" shows Nash's flattened face emerging from a floral vase and surrounded by levitating flowers and a lit candle which evoke the feeling of a simple shrine or ritual.
To view more of Mary's work, click the link below
You Knew What You Were Doing by Cary Okoro
Media: digital print
Size: 7.75" x 10.25"
City & State: East Grand Rapids, Michigan
As an artist and filmmaker, I am drawn to finding ‘beauty in the broken places’ as I explore themes of memory, trauma and identity. Using a variety of media and techniques, including found objects, photographs, blind contour drawing and collage, I like to undermine traditional modes of image-making and storytelling in order to help viewers see new perspectives. With this work, I am exploring how layers of experience and memory form identity. In "What Lies Beneath," I wanted to visualize the subterranean (or subconscious) strata of traumatic experiences and how they are both pushed down or suppressed, but also are still present, at times rising up and influencing our behavior and relationships. In “You Knew What You Were Doing," an ambiguous figure is upended, the clothing is partially missing as if digitally worn away, and the title indicates injury. Each of these works is an extended self-portrait—a visualized aspect or traumatic experience from my life that is both unique and relatable by many who have experienced trauma or injury. With these pieces, I hope to take the viewer "Beyond, Behind and Beneath" the traditional self-portrait by revealing the deeper layers of who we are.
To view more of Cary's work, Instagram @caryokoro, Gallery: Fuller Art House in Sylvania, OH
Size: 7.75" x 10.25"
City & State: East Grand Rapids, Michigan
As an artist and filmmaker, I am drawn to finding ‘beauty in the broken places’ as I explore themes of memory, trauma and identity. Using a variety of media and techniques, including found objects, photographs, blind contour drawing and collage, I like to undermine traditional modes of image-making and storytelling in order to help viewers see new perspectives. With this work, I am exploring how layers of experience and memory form identity. In "What Lies Beneath," I wanted to visualize the subterranean (or subconscious) strata of traumatic experiences and how they are both pushed down or suppressed, but also are still present, at times rising up and influencing our behavior and relationships. In “You Knew What You Were Doing," an ambiguous figure is upended, the clothing is partially missing as if digitally worn away, and the title indicates injury. Each of these works is an extended self-portrait—a visualized aspect or traumatic experience from my life that is both unique and relatable by many who have experienced trauma or injury. With these pieces, I hope to take the viewer "Beyond, Behind and Beneath" the traditional self-portrait by revealing the deeper layers of who we are.
To view more of Cary's work, Instagram @caryokoro, Gallery: Fuller Art House in Sylvania, OH
Consumate Victim's Son and Perpetual Provocateur's Husband by Craig Cully
Media: Painting
Size: 37" x 29"
Material: Oil on panel
City & State: Tucson, Arizona
This work is part of a larger series of paintings titled Portraits of Perversions that explore the intrinsic perversity of human interpersonal relationships. The psychological tension in this work is expressed by scale changes and distorted figures, and is underscored by the fragmented spaces these figures inhabit. The characters appear caught in a crisis between social ideals of identity and personal insecurities brought on by their own conflicting wants and needs within their relationships. Although the combination of meticulous surface quality, luminous color and technical paint handling emphasize the paintings seriousness, their visible attractiveness is undercut by what is represented: ultimately absurd scenes that poke fun at our expectations for realism. For what more are we to do but laugh when we find our relationships never truly realizing the ideals we first set up for them, and learning to love the form they have taken–flaws and all. Therein lies the impact of this work. Viewers find themselves in a relationship with the painting that thwarts their expectations for such virtuoso naturalism. The initial attraction to how the work looks is undermined by the incongruity of what viewers are actually seeing. Yet their desire to remain involved in a sense mirrors the very relationships they find in the work. As the recognition of this perverse relationship prevails, a sense of pathos and humanity comes to fruition and results in humorous reflection. If these paintings leave viewers feeling slightly disturbed it is, perhaps, the result of their own acknowledgement that something about the uncomfortable relationships depicted within bear an uncanny familiarity to their own. What’s more the superficial seduction of the work’s initial scopic pleasure gives way to a more inclusive albeit unsettling understanding of the perverse nature of these relationships through an empathic dynamic between viewer and panting.
This is work depicts a scene constructed as a metaphor for the mental state of the artist as he negotiated the emotional and psychological tension between his newly wed and mother brought on by her four week visit to their 900 square foot, one bedroom house. Audiences may inquire, if these two women are the artist’s wife and mother and since this is a self-portrait exhibition, where is the self-portrait of the artist? He is the gift, torn apart and left strewn about the floor.
To view more of Craig's work, click the link below
Size: 37" x 29"
Material: Oil on panel
City & State: Tucson, Arizona
This work is part of a larger series of paintings titled Portraits of Perversions that explore the intrinsic perversity of human interpersonal relationships. The psychological tension in this work is expressed by scale changes and distorted figures, and is underscored by the fragmented spaces these figures inhabit. The characters appear caught in a crisis between social ideals of identity and personal insecurities brought on by their own conflicting wants and needs within their relationships. Although the combination of meticulous surface quality, luminous color and technical paint handling emphasize the paintings seriousness, their visible attractiveness is undercut by what is represented: ultimately absurd scenes that poke fun at our expectations for realism. For what more are we to do but laugh when we find our relationships never truly realizing the ideals we first set up for them, and learning to love the form they have taken–flaws and all. Therein lies the impact of this work. Viewers find themselves in a relationship with the painting that thwarts their expectations for such virtuoso naturalism. The initial attraction to how the work looks is undermined by the incongruity of what viewers are actually seeing. Yet their desire to remain involved in a sense mirrors the very relationships they find in the work. As the recognition of this perverse relationship prevails, a sense of pathos and humanity comes to fruition and results in humorous reflection. If these paintings leave viewers feeling slightly disturbed it is, perhaps, the result of their own acknowledgement that something about the uncomfortable relationships depicted within bear an uncanny familiarity to their own. What’s more the superficial seduction of the work’s initial scopic pleasure gives way to a more inclusive albeit unsettling understanding of the perverse nature of these relationships through an empathic dynamic between viewer and panting.
This is work depicts a scene constructed as a metaphor for the mental state of the artist as he negotiated the emotional and psychological tension between his newly wed and mother brought on by her four week visit to their 900 square foot, one bedroom house. Audiences may inquire, if these two women are the artist’s wife and mother and since this is a self-portrait exhibition, where is the self-portrait of the artist? He is the gift, torn apart and left strewn about the floor.
To view more of Craig's work, click the link below
The Ties That Cut by Ian Welch
Media: printmaking, Intaglio
Size: 18" x 24"
City & State: Toledo, Ohio
Hiraeth: The implication of missing a time, place or person that may or may not have existed or exists no longer. Welsh in origin.
Being an only child, there is a particular dynamic I feel must fulfill- that of the caretaker, the legacy, the “good son.” As I grow older, I am constantly reassessing my place within a shrinking family unit, and with the recent loss of my father, mourning permeates both the mundane and the sacred. My work is a reflection on the experiences of returning home, and recognizing my past less and less; memories, objects, and even the people I love are no longer the way I remember them and out of necessity must be reassigned and sorted. Figures are often overburdened by an accumulation of marks, signifying the act of remembrance. Gestures of appreciation and the warmth of the home are often recontextualized with objects of labor serving as a reminder of how the act of homecoming is often charged with obligations and duties as well as being a time of happiness.
To view more of Ian's work, click the link below
Size: 18" x 24"
City & State: Toledo, Ohio
Hiraeth: The implication of missing a time, place or person that may or may not have existed or exists no longer. Welsh in origin.
Being an only child, there is a particular dynamic I feel must fulfill- that of the caretaker, the legacy, the “good son.” As I grow older, I am constantly reassessing my place within a shrinking family unit, and with the recent loss of my father, mourning permeates both the mundane and the sacred. My work is a reflection on the experiences of returning home, and recognizing my past less and less; memories, objects, and even the people I love are no longer the way I remember them and out of necessity must be reassigned and sorted. Figures are often overburdened by an accumulation of marks, signifying the act of remembrance. Gestures of appreciation and the warmth of the home are often recontextualized with objects of labor serving as a reminder of how the act of homecoming is often charged with obligations and duties as well as being a time of happiness.
To view more of Ian's work, click the link below
Me Sculpting Me by Robert R. Williams
Media: oil painting
Size: 24" x 30"
City & State: Stevensville, Michigan
The portrait “Me Sculpting Me” represents the Beyond because it represents where my art is going. I intend to continue painting but I also intend to do more sculpting and to attempt to sculpt even with my brush as I paint.
To view more of Robert's work, Facebook: Robert R. Williams Fine Art Studio,
Instagram: @williamsfineartstudio,
Studio: The Box Factory for the Arts, Studio 12, 1101 Broad St, St. Joseph, MI 49085
Gallery: Chartreuse Co-op Gallery, 304 State St, St. Joseph, MI 49085
Size: 24" x 30"
City & State: Stevensville, Michigan
The portrait “Me Sculpting Me” represents the Beyond because it represents where my art is going. I intend to continue painting but I also intend to do more sculpting and to attempt to sculpt even with my brush as I paint.
To view more of Robert's work, Facebook: Robert R. Williams Fine Art Studio,
Instagram: @williamsfineartstudio,
Studio: The Box Factory for the Arts, Studio 12, 1101 Broad St, St. Joseph, MI 49085
Gallery: Chartreuse Co-op Gallery, 304 State St, St. Joseph, MI 49085
On Fire by Lori Foringer
Media: photography
Size: 12" x 18"
City & State: Centerville, Ohio
Life likes to throw curveballs at us, some expected, such as aging or retirement, and others out of left field, such as the unexpected death of a loved one. Change happens to each of us, but how we navigate the transition from the known to the new is unique. It takes tenacity, or grit, to preserve through the void.
“te-nac-i-ty” is an introspective journey through the wilderness of change. There are happy moments, but also tough times. The air can be turbulent at times during the journey, but a new chapter lies beyond. One must believe and persevere to see the light through the transition and arrive at the destination of the new normal.
To view more of Lori's work, click the link below
Size: 12" x 18"
City & State: Centerville, Ohio
Life likes to throw curveballs at us, some expected, such as aging or retirement, and others out of left field, such as the unexpected death of a loved one. Change happens to each of us, but how we navigate the transition from the known to the new is unique. It takes tenacity, or grit, to preserve through the void.
“te-nac-i-ty” is an introspective journey through the wilderness of change. There are happy moments, but also tough times. The air can be turbulent at times during the journey, but a new chapter lies beyond. One must believe and persevere to see the light through the transition and arrive at the destination of the new normal.
To view more of Lori's work, click the link below
Juror, Alan Larkin
Juror Alan Larkin of South Bend, IN, taught printmaking and drawing at Indiana University South Bend for nearly forty years. An artist himself, Larkin works in drawing, painting and printmaking, incorporating a taste for realism that guides his narrative work.
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