ARTIST STATEMENT
In this small body of work, I examine themes of human emotion and masculinity through portraiture. Growing up, the men in my life were mysterious figures, often embodying traditional roles associated with manhood. They were guarded with their emotions and withdrew from the world around them. The men in my life may have been physically present, but not emotionally available or active throughout my childhood. My portraits intend to analyze these figures with a gentleness and empathy through painting. I am interested in the complexity behind the facial expressions and posing of these figures. The background of each image is somewhat ambiguous, drawing attention to their faces, yet is still grounding each figure within their environment. They suggest the idea of home without explicitly showing much. The flash photography lighting in these images give feelings of memory, drawing from family photo albums, but also have a harshness to them. These portraits balance feelings of intimacy, ambiguity, empathy, and detachment.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Madolyn Jewell is an artist from Missouri, now based in Chicago, who primarily makes oil paintings and graphite drawings. Madolyn graduated with a BFA at the University of Missouri School of Visual Studies in May of 2024. Her work has been shown throughout the state, in the cities of Columbia, Kansas City, and Joplin Missouri. Madolyn’s high-detail works are inspired by the aesthetics of both digital and physical photography, using those visual techniques to explore the complexities of human relationships, emotions, traditional gender roles and familial dynamics.
© Madolyn Jewell