Out Philadelphia artist and professional writer and editor Natalie Hope McDonald last week unveiled “Invented Surfaces,” a new exhibition of paintings marking her first solo show.
The paintings combine mixed media and drawing techniques focusing on color, texture and abstraction inspired by the ideas of duality, subjective memory, music and street art. McDonald talked to PGN about her exhibition and how she balances her talents in the concrete world of journalism and the abstract work of artistic expression.
PGN: Do you prefer group or solo exhibitions? NHM: The chance to show one’s work in public is a great opportunity for any artist. But with a solo show, I’ve had the chance to really cultivate a theme with almost 20 paintings. [Host] Bluestone [Fine Art Gallery] was supportive in allowing me to have the freedom to do exactly what I wanted from the first time we discussed the show. That’s not always the case with galleries. I imagine musicians must feel something similar recording an album. You want each track to speak to the bigger picture. In that same way, I’d like each painting to speak to a wider theme — in this case, the subjectivity of memory. The title of the show, “Invented Surfaces,” speaks to the actual surfaces of the paintings — their tone, color, texture and composition — as well as what it means to consider something on its surface or on a deeper level.
PGN: Do you think your style of painting is more of a complement or a contrast to what you do as a writer? NHM: As a journalist, I write about news and trends in society. But as a painter, I’m more interested in how memory impacts our personal psychology in a way that is, ideally, visually and universally appealing. My writing can be politically charged when it calls for it, but my art is anything but political. It’s highly personal.
PGN: Are the techniques and influences on display in the exhibition something that you always use in your art, or are they unique to this exhibition? NHM: I’ve been interested in abstraction for many years. I was trained as a figurative artist — took the usual studio classes, etc. — but have been interested in what it means to break down images into form, color and texture in a way that can be metaphorically quite meaningful. I suppose having the cornerstone of training in art has allowed me to appreciate what it means to really tear it apart and reconstruct something from my imagination. This exhibition is the truest example of what I do as an artist. I’m very proud of each piece and how they relate to the whole. PGN: Do you think that being familiar with your writing will give the viewers of your visual art a better understanding of the works? NMH: I read a great deal of poetry and spend a lot of time reading favorite authors that often inspire my works (and certainly the titles of the paintings). I’m not sure what sort of impact that will have for audiences. Perhaps they will recognize that there can be a connection between word and image that’s not always obvious or even entirely conscious. PGN: This exhibition has been described as “cryptic.” Do you think people appreciate art more if the meaning of it isn’t immediately obvious? NHM: I hope that people take away something meaningful from the show. Admittedly, figurative works tend to be judged a little differently than abstracted ones because the subjects are often a bit more obvious, but not always any less symbolic. I’d be pleased if people find their own meanings in the paintings. Art is so subjective — the best any of us can hope for is to make a connection with the person seeing the work, really seeing it. PGN: Do you have any expectations of how people viewing your paintings will interpret the meanings that inspired you? NHM: Once the paintings leave the studio and enter the public realm, it’s almost impossible to know how people will react to them. But I will say I’ve never been more proud of a collection of works. I hope that shows through.
Check out Natalie Hope McDonald’s exhibition, “Invented Surface,” through May 15 at Bluestone Fine Art Gallery, 142 N. Second St. For more information, call 856-979-7588 or visit www.nataliehopemcdonald.com.