My work is driven by the desire to witness humanity in idiosyncrasy. The human mind is constructed around experiences, creating our sense of identity and allowing us to make decisions subconsciously. I aim to capture how these decisions present themselves in interpersonal relationships and the relationship with the self. My paintings are vulnerabilities represented through self-portraiture and the complexities of my own experiences as I grow into an individual. Diving into my subconscious, I can create a dynamic between my channeled emotion and the structure of my picture plane. By exploring themes of change, death, desire, and self-reflection, I strive to open a conversation about the intensity of life that comes with growing.

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My process begins with collecting an array of information, from literature to conversations and personal diary entries. This is followed by many photographs and drawings. These tools assist me in putting together how I am personally affected by past, present, and what-could-be events. I use the figure as an inspiration point to create a setting field, combined through multiple reference imagery. Surrounding the figure are symbolic objects, all representing my personhood. Specific areas tightly rendered, loosely depicted areas all work in juxtaposition with posed figures of different sizes. The combination of traditionally rendered figures with the conceptual atmosphere all gives insight into a subconscious playing field.

Painting is a tool for self-discovery and understanding oneself to appreciate the complexities surrounding us. My work allows a continuous and creative dive into the subconscious of the human mind as the world continues to place relevancy on mental health, as I push traditional figures against conceptual experiments.

D'Shon McCarthy

Painting Major, BFA