Eleven regional North Carolina artists will take on the question of individualism in today’s society in a group show of self-portraits, entitled You and Me.Featured artists include Jessica DeHart from Mooresville, John Kuhenbeaker from Eden, Don Moore, Cara Reische, Phyllis Steimel, and James Taylor from Salisbury,Isaac Payne and Jenny Zito-Payne from Charlotte, Juie Rattley from Winston-Salem, Mark Stephenson from Misenheimer,and Nancy Toothman from Morehead City.
Artist's Statement Jessica DeHart
All art is autobiographical, in some way or another.I have always been drawn to people, with their complex emotions, ethnocentricities, histories, and individuality.Whether I am portraying a story, a fleeting moment, or just an expression, I find a comfort in having made a connection with the subject, the person themselves.I believe art of this nature to be important to my own wellbeing as an artist as well as a person living in today’s society. During the creation of and upon completion of a work, I feel I have gained new perspectives of this person.It is an intimate process and it is no wonder that the closest people in my life are the people in my paintings and drawings, including myself. As a visual artist, I am always striving for new ways to see.While portraying a person and their individuality, which can be subjective to each own artist, I believe it to be important to also keep a certain objectivity in mind. For me, it is a balance between the two where universality meets.This keeps me engaged and inspired and always creates a new outlook, even if I have painted a particular subject many times. A person’s story is always changing; human beings constantly change.I feel privileged that I can witness, and in my own way, create something that records my observations about the people in my life, and ultimately, the world around me.
Artist’s Statement
John Kuhenbeaker
I did not have a self portrait for the exhibition until I was selected to participate in this exhibition. When I started I wanted this to be different, after all most anyone can paint a likeness .I think part of doing a portrait is to capture more than a likeness but to capture the spirit of someone, their likes or dislikes, hopes and aspirations and their interests...etc. My self portrait: obviously I like motorcycles I also receive inspiration from the television shows "Biker build off" and "American chopper", the engine is also indicative of a racing mind. I did not realize until I was nearly done that the painting has a hopeful feel. I have been dealing with depression for the last four years now and hope to work my way out of it. I also find myself at a point in my life where I am committing myself to painting full time and making a living at it. Every picture tells a story.
Artist’s Statement
Don Moore
I read somewhere that the self portrait is the domain of the young emerging artist and the elder mature artist; for the young, the self portrait is a longing to understand who we are. For the mature artist, it is a quest for what lies ahead. For the figurative artist, a self portrait can be a matter of convenience: you will sit for you for as long as you want you to. You won’t hurt your feelings (not true.) Whatever the motivation, it is not vanity. No-one looks at themselves as intensely and critically as during the process of doing a self-portrait.
Artist Statement Isaac Payne
Coming soon
Artist’s Statement Jenny Zito-Payne
Painting, for me, requires focus, dedication and an attempt to really look at what is before you. Objects and subjects being painted can only be represented to a certain degree. Eventually the medium (and maybe even a happy accident) has its voice. This particular self-portrait, Duck, is actually a portrait of my birthmother who I met about five years ago. As this relationship grows I find that every time I see her in person or in past photographs I am blown away by certain resemblances. I felt that this image of her as a child, taking a bath, was something I could strongly identify with on many levels. I wanted to use her image to represent me for this show on self-portraiture. I believe we all share a part of childhood where we have experienced odd secrets of beauty and ugliness. Behind the playfulness of imagery and paint application in Age Five, lurks fragments of banal domesticity and nostalgia. However, what I am interest in is going beyond nostalgia and creating an invented environment that is not only dream-like and sweetly strange, but becomes an unknown and new experience. As a contemporary oil painter, I am interesting in exploring these ideas of veiled secrets and forgotten memories.
Artist’s Statement
Juie Rattley III
How do I find inspiration for my most recent body of work?This is the one question I am confronted with the most.My answer to that question is always the same:“My Life”.Being quite aware that death is something we all have in common, it is still something we cannot prepare for.
On May 18th, 2007, my childhood friend, Curtis DeAngelo “DD” Lennon, was killed in an apparent home invasion.Through a series of self-portraits, I show various expressions of anger, resignation, and sadness.Although I use myself to express this matter, the titles are also just as important.I give the portraits titles that are connected to the loss, like “May 18”, the day Curtis died, and “Hurting Inside”.“Hurting Inside” explores the internal pain of losing a close friend.The gesture and gaze is one that highly demonstrates me as an individual who does not trust anymore and who is aware of his surroundings.
Since painting has always been therapeutic for me, I felt the only way to address his death was to incorporate it into the visual language of art.I have always felt that if I created paintings about my life, I would stay true to myself as a painter and would always have something to paint about.
Artist’s Statement Mark Stephenson
"This is not my first self-portrait; but it is my most recent.It was painted over the course of two days in December 2010 just after I learned about this exhibition. I attached a large mirror on the wall next to my easel and began painting: no photographs, no outlines of facial features, just zones of tone overlaid repeatedly until the foundation features of my face appeared.This was then refined until you see what you see now. The best thing about painting yourself is that, at least for me, you don't find yourself concerned with the sitter.I don't worry about them being bored or getting tired and I don't need to ask them to tilt their head this way or that, and they are always interested in participating in the creative process. Most of all, I'm not concerned with their need to go home and sleep.The model you see here is just fine with staying up late into the night to paint, and doesn't argue about what music is on the radio.So, working on such a project can have its rewards. But most of all, working on such a thing is great practice.I think that is probably at the core of Rembrandt's self portraits.They were opportunities, especially early in his career, for him to experiment with gesture and facial expressions, though throughout he certainly was interested in not a few times giving himself the aires of nobility or even what he thought are the humble attributes of a saint. The painting you see here is about as straightforward as it gets.Friends usually tell me I look too serious in them.Well, for fun, right after painting this one I began and finished one that certainly is not serious and reveals more of the truth behind what a painter experiences while painting.But we'll need to save that one for another show."
Artist’s Statement James E. Taylor
When teaching drawing or painting, I demonstrate artistic self expression with a mirror. It is fascinating to watch the reaction, and the process when the student work on their self-portraits. An artist strives to define a very real truth, with their most familiar subject and the exploration is challenging. What the artist learns about themselves and the revelations about their skills can be joyful, problematic, and on occasion, force a confrontation—an element I believe must be present in an interesting and revealing work of art. Oscar Wilde noted: “It is through Art, that we can realize our perfection; through Art, and through Art only, that we can shield ourselves from the sordid perils of actual existence.” And: “All that I desire to point out is the general principle that Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.” I was by turns, disgusted, disappointed and challenged about what I wanted to say and how to say it. I moved further into who I am at this moment, in all my absurdity. Reflection and exploration revealed multiple facets of my history, bringing forth new expanded images. My pal Zeus the god-dog took on more importance than I could have imagined. Zeus was just weaned when abandoned at a crossroads in Mississippi and chose me joyfully and immediately for his journey. He has been part of my life for two and a half years now, and reveals more to me daily. I would be less than truthful if I told you the image was sketched and painted without hesitation or reflection—this painting was a journey. It was challenging to mold, manipulate, move what I saw, and further commit to paint this self-portrait: Zeus god-dog & me, in the world as we find it. What I envisioned changed and shifted, eventually all that remained were the surface quality of paint, resonance in the final brushwork, and of course, all the insecurities involved in making this important artistic statement about my life at this moment. But this why I paint, and perhaps, why you view paintings, art in general, and this self-portrait ? Enjoy with my good wishes and please reflect on the words of Henry James: “We work in the dark, we do what we can, we give all we have, our doubts are our passion and task— the rest is the madness of art.”