Marilyn Cvitanic ~ Artist's Statement

I began painting fifteen years ago, soon after finishing a Ph.D. in Policy Analysis at the RAND Graduate School. Having spent most of my life in academia up to that point, I wanted experience making art in the most fresh, organic way possible and purposely steered clear of any formal instruction. While taking an intuitive approach towards my work, I voraciously read about art and visited galleries and museums to learn about all aspects of other artists’ work and their creative process, as well as the business of the art world. Initially I had no idea where my interest in painting would take me. I discovered the process of making art, the cycle of observation and creation an utterly compelling one.

Like many artists, I initially began painting figuratively, but I’m rarely interested in literal depictions of the world around me. Fantasy elements immediately appeared in my work and are particularly apparent in Epiphany and Dandelion Breath. My portraits of dogs and cats are somewhat of an exception, having anthropomorphized my subjects though these paintings rather than simply recording their physical appearance. Each of my animal subjects is imbued with a distinct personality and an individuality that sets him or her apart from the rest of the animal world.

In recent years the physical characteristics of my environment has become a major influence on my work. The right-angles and verticality of Manhattan’s landscape have lead to the abstract paintings that figure prominently in my portfolio and point to the direction I’ve recently taken in two related series of paintings - Biological Architecture, begun in 2002 and Pluto is Not a Planet, begun in 2006.

Pluto Is Not a Planet, Biological Architecture and Small Animals

These paintings revel an abstract landscape where there is no clear distinction between the spiritual and physical realms. Although the perspective may seem oddly familiar, it is one we don’t immediately recognize on a daily basis except, perhaps in a good night of dreaming. My two latest bodies of work, Biological Architecture and Pluto Is Not a Planet reflect my interest in structural form, both natural and man-made. My process draws on images from my home environment of New York City, as well as a life-long love of microscopic forms found in botany and the natural sciences – both interests of mine since childhood.

In both series of paintings, the forms I’ve created are almost identifiable, yet not so familiar that we recognize them. I want the viewer to experience shapes and objects in a fresh setting that simultaneously seem very close and very far away. The viewer must question their perspective. Do these paintings represent the view through the lens of a microscope or a telescope?

My most recent work includes a new series, Small Animals, combining abstraction and earlier animal themes. Once again, the interplay of scale and perspective create a surreal environment in which animal forms float, alone and out-of-place, simultaneously alienated and intrigued by their situation.

In addition to my studio work, over the last five years I have lectured in Art History at Manhattan College.

I am also a contributer to Sharkforum.

site design: David Longey. Please visit HandofDave.com