Satellite Exhibition
MONA DWORKIN
July 13 – September 21, 2023
“Influenced by the country’s social instability and racial divide, my paintings are visual narratives on resilience and the fragility of human connections. Through these paintings, I explore injustices and struggles of marginalized people. I see my artwork as a dialogue; an opportunity to awaken sensitivities in others who fail to see the abuse some people encounter daily. Resilience is a theme that reverberates throughout my work and life. I add a distressed texture to illustrate disquieting subject matter symbolic of physical and emotional pain. Black and white letters cut from magazines imply conversations, words hurled at someone. When we fail to acknowledge man’s inhumanity towards others it makes us complicit in their acts.
Elements of race, gender and relationships are portrayed as fragmented and sometimes disparate with recognizable eyes staring back at the viewer. This body of work similarly echoes themes of uncertainty. The current social climate where we are acutely aware of, and often tormented by others, begs us to consider the vast and unknowable potentials of our futures. Incorporating found objects and collected ephemera adds personal context of women’s shared experiences. Artworks with couples represent a time in my life when I questioned my standing in a relationship and the power play of give and take. Painting for me is cathartic, having the opportunity to share my work brings me great joy. Prior to and after heart surgery last year, I created paintings about healing, metamorphosis and resilience; three of those paintings are on view in this exhibition. My most recent figurative and portrait collages began 4 years ago, inspired by Romare Bearden’s mixed media paintings.”
-Mona Dworkin
Mona Dworkin studied art at the State University of New Paltz and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education. Raised in Hartsdale, New York, she currently resides in Richmond, Virginia.
For more information and examples of work, visit her website: monadworkin.com
Curated by: Ra-Twoine Fields, 1708 Gallery’s Royall Family Curator, and Kyle Maurer, 1708 Gallery Intern