ARTIST STATEMENT
Through my work I wrestle with society’s idealized construction of the female form and its relationship to my body. Exposing my fragmented feelings of identity caused by these external constructs of the female form reveals my vulnerability to these issues as I work through expansive waves of anger and grief. Through drawing and painting I unearth past experiences, exploring my feelings of that moment. I emotionally and physically connect with the viscerality of oil paint. By layering and excavating paint, I conceal and reveal my emotional weight of dealing with societal pressures of perfection that surround the female form. As I paint I leave traces of my unconscious reactions to these internalized standards using automatic processes. I allow raw emotion and memories to come through, in an effort to purge myself of unachievable goals. My approach to painting is a conversation with the work as I discover and give shape to figures. This process creates distance between my direct perception of my physical body and opens the space of accepting my body as it is. My goal is to arrive at a point of healing within my practice. I hope by exposing my vulnerabilities, I open up a space for the viewer to search, and question the emotions they feel while viewing it.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
I’m Madelyn Turner, a figurative painter based in Illinois. I have my BA in studio art, and I am currently pursuing an MFA degree with Illinois State University. I am interested in the space between figuration and abstraction, and how this exploration can create a new way of exploring my body and experiences with the societal consciousness of feminine identity.
© Madelyn Turner