Over the Shoulder, Hands on Hips is a collection of paintings that weaves together fragments of the female figure from contemporary culture and classical art history. Through the lens of a female figurative painter, I construct new portraits from cut-outs of women past and present, creating a visible, chaotic mixture of the human condition and the experience of being a woman. These paintings express how we are all a collection of divergent experiences pieced together to form one body. By juxtaposing modern themes with historical art forms, the exhibition seeks to illuminate the ongoing dialogue between past and present in the portrayal of women. Each piece is crafted over abstract acrylic backgrounds, allowing the subjects to fade in and out of the surface, inviting the viewer to look closer at the detail while also seeing the portrait as a whole.
Cassie Gnehm is an artist and educator based out of San Antonio, Texas. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Columbus College of Art and Design and her Master of Fine Arts from West Virginia University. She also earned a Master in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver. Gnehm was awarded residencies at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts as well as the Vermont Studio Center and is a current resident artist at Clamp Light Studios and Gallery. Her work has been exhibited at Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival, San Antonio, TX; Craighead Green Gallery, Dallas, TX; ICOSA, Austin, TX; San Antonio Art League and Museum, San Antonio, TX; Bowery Gallery, New York, NY; Silver Mine Galleries, New Canaan, CT; Presa House Gallery, San Antonio, TX and many other venues. Gnehm is a high school drawing and painting instructor who has taught internationally as well as at the college level.
Website: www.cassiegnehm.com
Instagram: @cassiegnehm_art