Michele Tuohey

This web site is dedicated to the memory of my father, Donald Francis Tuohey.

Artist Statement

My work is a personal exploration which mirrors my 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. When we create our own spiritual strength, this adaptation can be detrimental to our inner complexity and strangle our perceptions of reality. In spite of society's possible mediocrities, I paint to seek a dialogue where I can continue to seek truth, laugh and cultivate my desire to feel alive. It also enables me to balance my feminine and masculine energy.

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 some meaning for them from their own universe 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.