SILHOUETTES

Humans have always adorned both themselves and their surroundings—even the earliest cave drawings are evidence of our elemental pull towards the documentation of beauty. As an artist, I have always been drawn to the messages behind the art of adornment, especially in relation to social status and consumerism.

Often jewelry is worn to embellish, to confer status on the wearer and provide escapism to the observer. It can also signal cultural, social, or religious status within a specific community. Similarly, “good art” can be a symbol of the owners’ economic success as much as their appreciation of the form. The silhouette, one of the earliest documented art forms, was used as a way of saving money on official portraits. Historically, due to their inexpensive nature, silhouettes were accessible to all social classes and therefore were always considered an unpretentious art form.

This intersection—between value and value judgment, between status symbol and object of simple pleasure—is a critical element of my own work. This series is a nod to the societal tension between highly decorative status pieces and an art form that is considered cheap and for the masses.  I have used modern technology and colorful combinations to subvert these constructs and embolden the humble silhouette.

MAGGIE MEINERS (b.1972, Chicago) Maggie Meiners is an interdisciplinary artist whose work revolves around identity, consumerism, media, and popular culture. Heavily influenced by image culture and how it personally affects her, Meiners deftly deploys photography, stock imagery, film stills, cultural artifacts and magazines to tackle subjects such as femininity, gender, and social status. Using appropriation, assemblage, film making and installations, Meiners explores the psychological affects of popular imagery on her psyche.

Her interests lie in deconstructing the current cultural narrative as a way of empowerment and defining her personal identity. The internal conflicts that manifest from the constant barrage of the media as well as societal expectations (both self-imposed and external) within the current social construct are also represented in her work.  Using these varied modes and mediums, Meiners’ work highlights feminism and contemporary notions of gender, domesticity, beauty, consumption, and body image.

Humor and subversive messaging in Meiners' work is relayed as an abundance of bright, often lurid colors and textures in jarring, frenetic, and imperfectly arranged pieces. Such arrangements evoke the essence of simultaneous desire and absurdity, a psychological manifestation of our culture of perfection and truth.

Maggie’s art has been widely exhibited and remains in the permanent collections of the Montclair Art Museum, Wheaton College, Harrison Street Lofts, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP and numerous private collections.  In addition, her work was on loan at the American Embassy in Uruguay from 2016-2019. Maggie had her first solo exhibition in 2005 at The Union League Club of Chicago-- one of the most esteemed private collectors of art in the country and is represented by the Anne Loucks Gallery in Glencoe IL.