“Romantic Painter”: MFA Thesis - Painting & Drawing

Abstract

My exhibition, "Romantic Painter", consists of several parts: First, a large painting, made to-scale with the original "Death of Sardanapalus." Second, a series of walnut ink drawings, each abstracted from an aspect of Delacroix's painting. Third, a video appropriated from a 1980 BBC documentary/drama of Delacroix's life, called "The Restless Eye." The audio is excerpted from the original educational film and the video (20 minutes of me dressed up, role playing as Delacroix) is my own. To make this body of work, I chased painting -- a specific painting, one of the biggest and grandest I could find -- to the extent of my abilities. What I want you to know is this: I am Eugene Delacroix. I am on a Romantic quest to make the last painting, the painting that will solve painting and will end history. I am Sardanapalus. I am heartbroken. I am burning down my palace. I am a 32-year old woman living in Upstate New York. A fire happened and I survived it. History isn’t over. I am failing.