Mary Ellen Croteau

Medusa Slaying Perseus
oil on canvas
50 x 36 in.

“The Gorgons, Medusa and her two sisters, defended the temple of Artemis from those who would despoil it. She turned to stone with just a glance all who attempted to enter unbidden. Perseus presumed to trick Medusa into looking at her own image by polishing his shield into a mirror, believing that she would thus turn herself to stone, and that he could then penetrate the temple of the Goddess. Of course, he was wrong, and for his impudence, was relieved of his head.”

Mary Ellen Croteau is a multi-media artist who has exhibited extensively across the U.S. as well as in Italy, Iceland, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Korea and Colombia. She has lectured internationally, has been widely reviewed and won numerous awards for her artwork. She has also organized and curated many exhibitions.

Croteau studied sculpture at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, earned her BFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her MFA in mixed media from Rutgers University. Calling her work “cultural critique,” she uses a variety of media, from painting and photography to sculpture and installation, “to lay bare the underlying bias in our social icons.” As one reviewer stated: “The beauty of Croteau’s work lies largely in the humor employed to deliver some serious trouble.” Her work has appeared on the cover of The Last Taboo: Women and Body Hair by Dr. Karin Lesnik-Oberstein, New City News, Artpaper and On The Issues magazine, and has been reproduced in Ms. and other publications.

© Mary Ellen Croteau