About
Mary Kate McElroy
Born in Dayton, OH
Lives & works in Athens, OH
I'm currently seeking my M.F.A. in Painting + Drawing from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
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I only recently realized the extent to which an artistic view has permeated my perception of the world. It happened in a mundane context; my brother, who is completing graduate work in math, and I were working on a puzzle. He pointed out that he analyzed each piece based on the perimeter of its shape to determine its place, while I organized them based upon local color. I had an inkling before then that I saw things differently than I used to. I began to see art at every opportunity: a destitute corner of an abandoned parking lot, liminal spaces, or even the way a particular light falls upon its surrounding space.
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This attention to often overlooked or underrated details is what inspires my art. I have come to understand that art is not only found in majestic scenery that takes one’s breath away, but also in the way beauty can be exemplified in the seemingly ordinary. My goal as an artist is to share my curiosity with understated beauty in hopes of growing attention to and appreciation of it.
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While I have become fascinated in depicting what I see around me, I have also turned my attention inward, exploring what I am perhaps most familiar with: myself. I grew up with many expectations of how a woman is supposed to present herself. After overcoming several tumultuous years, I have employed many avenues of art including books, experimental film, photography, and painting to explore both my relationship with femininity and to process the complexities of my experiences. As I have learned to see beauty in places deemed unworthy, I have translated this into my view of the female figure and the beauty of femininity outside of the patriarchal context. This investigation has led my practice into collaborations with communities of survivors of sexual assault, who have bravely entrusted me to share their stories.