Artist Statement
As
a Cuban/Irish artist, my work is a personal exploration which mirrors my own
psyche, my values and my search for answers to what it means to be a person
in this society. While society imprints its expectations and moldings
on us all, I continually question the manner in which we are influenced to
conform. For, in creating one’s own spiritual strength this adaptation
can be detrimental to our inner complexity and strangle our individual
perceptions of reality. In spite of society’s possible mediocrities,
I paint to seek a dialogue where I can continue to laugh and keep my thirst
for life. It also enables me to balance the dualities of my feminine
and masculine qualities and cultivates my desire for the experience of feeling
alive.
My
theatrical acting background influences each of my paintings as they come
to life as separate stage performances. Although I have recurring themes
throughout my work, each canvas depicts a particular storyline much like a
chapter in a book or an act in a play. It is my aim to portray a minimal
amount of visual elements so that the simplicity of the figures and or objects
communicates to the viewer and triggers one's own inner depth of complexity.
I
work with thick individual applications of pigments to create textural vibrations
of color. This approach, technique, allows me to explore the essence
of reality and illusions.
© 2007 Michele Tuohey. All rights reserved.
