June 22 - July 22, 2018
Nicole Santiago – "Family Narratives"
Paintings/drawings/prints
Helena Davis Gallery
Opening Reception
Friday, June 22, 6-9 pm
Free and Open to the Public
Closing Artist Talk
Sunday, July 22, 2018
2 pm
Free and Open to the Public
Artist Statement
I paint the commonplace objects that surround me, loosely suggesting my internal and familial narratives, resulting in domestic scenes with simple yet layered storylines. And while narrative is a primary driving force in my work, it always remains subservient to the larger formal concerns of the painting. To this end, I often run through several narratives in the course of any one painting, in a sense, finding my subject through the process.
Just as I am not bound to the storylines that initially incite a work, I am also not bound to any one way of constructing a piece. And while working from direct observation is my preferred method, I do not consider myself a perceptual purist, regularly finding it necessary to employ other methods to construct my works. Most often this includes invention, working from memory, digital studies, painting from multiple set ups, and so on.
My intent is to make images that engage the viewer through the subject matter and the underlying abstraction. I seek to investigate both the isolate domestic moments that surround me and the formal structures of the picture itself, creating visual situations that challenge the passivity of the viewer.
Bio
Nicole M. Santiago holds a BFA in studio art from Indiana University and an MFA in painting from the University of New Hampshire. She has shown in over 100 group and solo exhibitions and is a member of First Street Gallery in New York, NY. Her works have been printed in many publications including The Artist’s Magazine, Art New England, and the International Painting Annual 1 (INPA-1). She currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Art at the College of William & Mary where she teaches life drawing, composition, and color theory.
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