Paintings and drawings
by Marguerite Anne OLeary
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts
Montana State University
© Copyright by Marguerite Anne OLeary (1985)
Abstract:
no abstract found in this volume PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS
by
M a r g u e r ite Anne O 'Leary
A th e s is subm itted in p a r t i a l . f u l f i l l m e n t
o f th e requirem ents f o r th e degree
of
Master o f Fine A rts
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bozeman, Montana
August 1985
/V37£
OJU?
Ge|)-
Approval
o f a th e s is subm itted by
M a r g u e r ite Anne O 'Leary
This th e s is has been read by each member o f the a u t h o r 's graduate
committee and has been found to be s a t i s f a c t o r y regarding c o n t e n t ,
E n g lis h usage, fo r m a t, c i t a t i o n s , b i b l i o g r a p h i c s t y l e , and c o n s is te n c y ,
and is ready f o r submission to the C o lle g e o f Graduate S tu d ie s .
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Date
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A ^ i r p e r s o n r G r B d u a t e Committee
Approved f o r the Major Department
/
5)
Date ,
Approved f o r the C o lle g e o f Graduate Studies
Date
Graduate Dean
STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE
In p re s e n tin g t h i s th e s is
in p a r t i a l
f u l f i l l m e n t o f the
requirem ents f o r a m a s te r 's degree a t Montana S ta te U n i v e r s i t y ,
I agree
t h a t th e L i b r a r y s h a ll make i t a v a i l a b l e to borrowers under r u le s o f the
L ib ra ry .
B r i e f q u o ta tio n s from t h i s paper a r e a llo w a b le w ith o u t s p e c ia l
p e rm is s io n , provided t h a t a c c u ra te acknowledgement o f source is made.
Permission f o r e x t e n s iv e q u o ta tio n from o r repro d u ctio n o f t h i s
paper may be granted by my major p r o fe s s o r , o r in his absence, by the
Dean o f L i b r a r i e s when,, in th e o p in io n o f e i t h e r , th e proposed use o f
the m a t e r ia l
m a t e r ia l
is f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes.
in t h i s paper f o r f i n a n c i a l
my w r i t t e n perm is s io n .
S ig n a tu re
Date
'C o
/unK '
Any copying o r use o f the
gain s h a ll not be allow ed w ith o u t
I
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Responding i n t u i t i v e l y to a canvas both f o r m a l ly and e m o tio n a lly is
an im portant element in my p a i n t i n g .
Ideas about c o l o r , composition and
s u b je c t m a tte r a r e brought about spontaneously w h ile p a i n t i n g , a c h ie v in g
a sense o f a c t i v i t y and a spark o f th e p r e s e n t.
There is equal
importance between th e fu n c tio n o f formal
and more s u b j e c t i v e , o r c o n te n t,
iss ue s .
issues
Form ally th e p a in tin g s are
concerned w i t h the placement o f images in r e l a t i o n to each o th e r
(com position) and how th e images r e l a t e s p e c i f i c a l l y to t h e i r e n v iro n ­
ment o r f i e l d ,
c o lo r f i e l d ,
problem.
in t h a t they a re o f t e n embedded in (and overlapped by) a
c o n fr o n tin g th e t r a d i t i o n a l
"foreground/background"
This denies a sense o f re a lis m o r b e l ie v a b l e space, and
instead emphasizes th e tw o-dim ensional o r p l a s t i c n a tu re o f a p a i n t i n g .
The background competes w it h th e foreground images, c r e a t i n g an a c t i ­
v ated and c o n t r a d i c t o r y s u r fa c e .
By embedding o b je c ts
in a c o lo r f i e l d ,
formal concerns and a b s t r a c t elements on th e s u rfa ce a r e prese n tin g
themselves w it h importance as equal as th e images them selves.
T h e s e .p a in t in g s r e f l e c t a chain o f events and e xp e rien ce s which a re
r e le v a n t to my l i f e .
The images t h a t
d e s c r ib e a s p e c i f i c event o r f e e l i n g
th a t fe e lin g .
I choose to p a in t serve to
in a way t h a t p r e c i s e l y captures
Choices in c o lo r and com position a re a d ju s te d to d e sc rib e
these th in g s w h ile m a in ta in in g a sense o f s p o n ta n e ity w i t h the canvas
and the a c t o f p a i n t i n g .
The images, however, never lose t h e i r
2
s ig n ific a n c e e n t i r e l y .
Images such as beds and c h a ir s a r e everyday
o b j e c t s , y e t a re loaded w ith symbolic and o b j e c t i v e meaning to which
most people can r e l a t e
in some personal way.
t h e r e f o r e u n d e rs ta n d a b le .
o b j e c t s , however,
They a re f a m i l i a r , and
The r e l a t i o n s h i p between and w i t h i n these
is my p a r t i c u l a r vantage p o i n t .
Although th e r e a r e no f i g u r e s
in th e p a i n t i n g s , per s e, they evoke
a d i s t i n c t sense o f the f i g u r e o r , more o f t e n , o f i t s absence.
th e f i g u r e ' s obvious absence c re a te s a sense o f a n x i e t y ,
lo s s .
In some,
l o n e li n e s s , o r
The j u x t a p o s i t i o n o f images to each o th e r evokes o th e r s p e c i f i c
p s yc h o lo g ic al
r e l a t i o n s h i p s , v a ry in g from serene and calm to more tense
and less p r e d i c t a b l e ones.
Two empty c h a i r s , f o r example, can speak o f
th e d is ta n c e between people and can emphasize the space between them in
an a c t i v e way.
or a n tic ip a tio n .
Empty c h a ir s can a ls o r e p re s e n t the s ensation o f w a it in g
Other o b je c t s
sexual c o n n o ta tio n s .
lite ra lly
in r e l a t i o n to each o t h e r evoke vague
The r e l a t i o n s h i p between o b j e c t s , b lu r r e d
by p a i n t , a llo w s f o r dis cre pa ncy and mystery f o r th e v ie w e r.
T h e i r e x p e rie n c e o f my e xp e rie n c e is open, and is t h e i r own.
3
LIST OF SLIDES
1.
U n title d
1985
29" x 41''
2.
U n t it le d .
1985
29" x 41"
3.
U n title d
1985
29" x 41"
4.
U n title d
1985
29" x 41"
5.
U n title d
1985
60" x 72"
6.
U n title d
1985
60" x 72 "
7-
U n title d
1985
60" x 72 "
8.
U n title d
1985
60" x 96"
9.
U n title d
1985
60" x 72 "
10.
U n title d
1985
48" x 60"
11.
U n title d
. 1985
48" x 60"
12.
U n title d
1985
48" x 60'
13»
U n title d
1985
60" x 96'