Cindy Mehr's portfolio

Plasti-Verse

These oil paintings blend natural, organic forms with discarded plastics, creating whimsical compositions that explore our evolving relationship with synthetic materials. I collect plastic debris from my immediate surroundings--bottle caps, bags, containers, and other unidentifiable detritus--and pair it with plants from my garden and local woodlands. Through careful observation and rendering, I elevate these mundane, often overlooked objects into subjects worthy of contemplation.

The work addresses a particular kind of cultural blindness: our collective complacency toward the infiltration of plastic into every corner of our environment. We've become so accustomed to litter and man-made materials that they've essentially become invisible in our eco-systems, absorbed into the landscape of daily life. By using oil paint on canvas to unite these inorganic materials with botanical forms, I make this uncomfortable entanglement visible again, but through a lens that invites curiosity rather than despair.

There's an intentional playfulness in how I compose these pieces, but sometimes serendipitous moments occur when the objects take on a life of their own, and a pair of scissors might gnaw at the stem of a plant, or a plastic belt might strangle a bouquet. The paintings imagine a world where plastic and nature have become so thoroughly intertwined that they seem to belong together--where a bottle cap might nestle into foliage as naturally as a flower, or where synthetic textures echo organic patterns. This whimsy isn't meant to diminish the seriousness of environmental degradation, but rather to reflect the absurd reality we've created: one in which human-made materials have become so ubiquitous that they're practically evolving alongside us. I ask viewers to reconsider what we've normalized, to see the strangeness in what has become ordinary, and to imagine what future we're building when the artificial and the natural can no longer be separated.

Lilies with Scissors

Lilies, scissors, and a ruler, held together by a belt, rest on a tablecloth--an unlikely bouquet. Objects associated with measurement, cutting, and restraint are juxtaposed with elements of spontaneous growth, thus heightening the divide between what nurtures and what controls. Oil on canvas, 36x36
Bynum Run

Bynum Run leaves behind an abundance of colorful plastic as it meanders through the valley and empties into the Chesapeake Bay. Not all plastic gets deposited on the shore; some goes on to feed the fish and other aquatic animals. In this painting an orchid emerges from a woodland floor strewn with plastic debris. This flower, often associated with fragility and cultivated beauty, becomes an anomaly within a landscape altered by human presence. Oil on canvas, 36x36
Jack-in-the-Pulpit

A Jack-in-the-Pulpit and an assortment of plants and faux flora hang together precariously on a plastic, take-out tray. The tray--an object designed for transport and disposal--becomes a temporary platform for organic and synthetic materials whose ultimate destination will underscore key differences in biodegradation. Oil on canvas, 36x48
Plastic Purple Thing

Pictured here is an unlikely bouquet. This random grouping demonstrates how certain juxtapositions cause some items to fade in significance, others to elicit disgust, and still others to outshine their neighbors. In this painting all struggle to coexist as synthetic strips cinch tightly around them, evoking the act of strangulation. A single seedpod trapped at the center of this constriction faces a future of compromised growth. Oil on canvas, 36x48
Blue Plastic Thing

A forest in the background frames a scene in which a hellebore emerges from a cylindrical plastic container resting on a disposable plastic tray. An ominous, surreal mood prevails as the hellebore, a winter bloom often associated with hardiness and endurance, seems about to be devoured by its recipient. Oil on canvas, 16x20
Orange Plastic Thing

A lily rests precariously in an orange, plastic vessel while scattered beads and earbud cords loop and drift without clear purpose. The lily, a symbol of purity, becomes defiled amidst this tangle of detritus, but its dominance in the foreground, along with the water and forest in the background, suggests continuity. Oil on canvas, 24x30
Canned Goods

Nestled in a tin can, random objects are clustered together, both real and artificial, their identities difficult to separate. A real lily is paired with an artificial one, a fake fern overshadows a real leaf. Manmade patterned tiling recedes toward a distant forest, linking the constructed environment with the organic world beyond. The comb suggests the act of searching the data more carefully. Oil on canvas, 16x20
Yellow Fork

A common visitor to outdoor arenas--the plastic water bottle--serves a second-hand purpose as a repository for plants and plastics. The bottle appears to erupt with an accumulation of living and non-living items that feel at once generative and unstable. This jumbled assemblage emanates a feeling of chaos or uncertainty. Oil on canvas, 24x30
3 Buttons

3 Yellow Buttons--an aberration of the holy trinity or a playful take on the sunflower theme? A vibrant red flower blooms--not as a triumphant resolution, but as an insistence on continuation despite environmental anomalies. Oil on canvas, 24x30
Tea Bag Tongs

Upon research, one UPO (unidentified plastic object), turned out to be tea bag tongs--an unconventional choice of subject matter for a painting. The other object swirling out of the cactus remains unidentified. Both are attached to the cactus in unlikely pairings. Random plastic objects scattered in nature create comical associations that underscore their sense of displacement and incompatibility with the environment. Oil, 36x48

Animated Paintings

This project employs an AI application that animates still photographs of my "Plasti-Verse" paintings, which are further refined through careful editing. By comparing the stills with their animated versions, I then examine the perceptual shifts that occur when a single painting exists simultaneously as a still one and as a moving, time-based animation. By translating static works into video, the project explores how motion acts as a medium that fundamentally alters meaning--clarifying certain elements while dissolving others, reducing ambiguity in some moments while introducing new layers of interpretation in others.

Movement becomes an active, rather than passive agent in the reading of an image. Through animation, new forms can emerge and old forms can become fully delineated. Other elements can recede, repeat, or disappear, subtly guiding the viewer's attention and influencing emotional response. These temporal changes inject positive or negative connotations that are not clearly apparent in the still photograph, and help shape the narrative and the mood.

The animated versions do not seek to replace the still image, but to add complexity to it. The project parallels two distinct modes of seeing--one grounded in suspension and ambiguity, the other in transformation and progression--allowing for a deeper understanding of how meaning is constructed, stabilized, or disrupted through time. Viewers, as well, are pulled into a temporal moment in time that unfolds, repeats, and progresses as they move with the work and experience meaning as something fluid and continuously developing.

Lilies with Scissors

A pair of scissors emerges with increasing clarity, cutting sharply through the painted surface, seemingly severing the image in two. The scissors, unlike the painting in the still photograph, become a much more dominant feature--an agent of deliberate, controlled, human intervention. The act of cutting transforms the scene from a site of slow degradation into one of immediate rupture, shifting the tone from quiet unease to overt aggression. What was once implied is made explicit through this violent gesture that heightens a sense of threat to the environment.
Bynum Run

A falling brown leaf, which was not present in the still photograph, becomes the dominant image in this video, and in doing so, lessens the importance of the orchid. The foliage swirls in a downward spiral, slowly dying and creating a feeling of doom rather than a feeling of hope. The landscape, which once contained a colorful plastic ball and a Lego piece, is now void of any reference to gaiety as nature bows its head in a slow decline.
Jack-in-the-Pulpit

As the background darkens, flowers and plants droop over the edges of a take-out tray. Plants wilt and gradually collapse along with earbud cords. Even technology is powerless in preventing environmental degradation. The tray's manufactured durability contrasts sharply with the fragility of the petunia, which lowers its head in an act of final submission. While the elements in the still photograph remained upright, albeit precariously balanced, here they disappear into the foliage, suggestive of how manufactured items disappear into the environment at large.
Purple Plastic Thing

Unlike in the still photograph, the synthetic strips in the video morph into an all-consuming plastic garbage bag that seems to squeeze the life out of the elements within. in doing so, the "vital juices" ironically appear as small plastic balls. The seedpod, a dominant presence in the photo, almost disappears from sight, its promise of future growth even more doubtful.
Blue Plastic Thing

In contrast to the still photo, which only hints at consumption of the hellebore, the video depicts a blue container that actively consumes and almost completely devours the flower. This merging of plastic and organic material not only blurs the boundaries between what is grown and what is manufactured, but foretells a future in which plants and plastics fuse into a hybrid form that is unstable and toxic. The blending of plastics with organic matter suggests a slow, pervasive infiltration rather than a single catastrophic event.
Orange Plastic Thing

A lily, resting precariously in an expanding plastic vessel, opens and closes as if gasping for air amidst a scene of scattering debris. Within this tangle of detritus, the flower's rhythmic motion becomes a heartbeat, an asserting of life. Overall, the mood is more buoyant than in the still photograph.
Canned Goods

In the same way that a comb moves through hair, in the here it moves through a bouquet, seeming to separate the real from the fake.. As it sweeps back and forth, the large flower disappears and then reappears, resisting domination by its artificial counterparts. Also apparent in the video, but not in the still photograph, is that the red buds are actually plastic look-alikes. The video reflects a broader condition in which artificial substitutes replace organic systems, not through overt destruction but through quiet domination. Survival becomes an act of resistance, and the flower's struggle exposes the threat to environments where imitation may outlive and overtake the real.
Yellow Fork

The video expands upon the still photograph of a bottled bouquet by spewing forth its unrelated contents in chaotic bursts. As the video unfolds, additional layers of trash are revealed, exposing a depth that the still image only suggests. The accumulation of discarded materials feels endless, as if the bottle cannot contain what it holds. Frenzied movement and blustering, near violent shaking disrupt any sense of balance, shifting the work from quiet observation to confrontation. The animation intensifies the emotional register of the piece, replacing compositional order with agitation and force. Through this transformation, the work underscores how movement alters perception--turning a static symbol of consumption into a volatile site of pressure, release, and environmental collapse.
3 Buttons

As the video unfolds, 3 buttons evolve into 4 buttons, and a synthetic swath expands, all buffeted by a strong wind. Not present in the still photograph, is the idea of the proliferation of plastics and how they are becoming a growing environmental concern--especially noticeable in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which covers an area of an estimated 1.6 million square kilometers.
Tea Bag Tongs

In this video an assortment of random elements--a gladiola, tea bag tongs, plastic caps, electric cords--sink into a cactus-like form, while a purple plastic ball emerges from its surface. From this integration, a new flowering plant emerges. The work imagines a landscape in which synthetic materials are not external intrusions but are active elements in altering natural patterns that result in mutations that are not entirely organic, but comprised of nano-plastics or microplastics. The video presents an acceleration of this process by compressing years of de-evolution into a mere 6 seconds that shows forced integration rather than mere coexistence. These mutations point toward a future populated by plastic organisms: entities that resemble life yet are shaped by materials that resist decay and regeneration. The video invites reflection on the long-term consequences of discarded synthetic materials, rampant littering, and inefficient waste control.

Rainbows

This rainbow project is the product of the joy I felt after coronavirus restrictions were lifted and there was a gradual return to pre-pandemic normality. This iconic image, known throughout the globe, evokes magical, mystical, and mythological associations, but is also a fitting vehicle to express the weathering of a storm. It acts, metaphorically speaking, as a beacon of light that shines through the prevailing darkness. What's not to like about a rainbow? In a world seemingly turning against us with fires, floods, storms, droughts, and pandemics, a rainbow splayed across the sky shows us what the world was like before the imprint of man.

Avoiding pre-planning or any preliminary drawing in the execution of these paintings, I choose, instead, to let the painting guide the way, thus allowing for spontaneity and serendipitous moments to occur, a process that mirrors the unexpected apparition of a rainbow. The common element in all these paintings is the use of juxtaposition: contrast between sweeping, rainbow-colored, amorphous shapes and the grey tones of rigid, geometric patterns; contrast between fleeting, ethereal forms and repetitive structured forms; contrast between brush painting and stencil painting; contrast between color and lack of color. Instead of using the stereotypical celestial arches so often associated with pre-school drawings, I use a variety of spectral shapes and a variety of props such as wheels, tiled floors, and bubbles in order to evoke more nuanced feelings--gaiety, festivity, fragility--and more nuanced interpretations--a celebration of diversity or an escape from the constraints of the material world. This iridescent apparition has many symbolic overtones and is inclusive of all the colors, seemingly eternal, and limitless in its power to transform.

Rainbow Factory

oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf on canvas, 48x36

In the course of crafting this painting, projecting random images onto the canvas, I conjured up the idea of a rainbow factory. This absurd concept freed me up to move in a new direction and inject a bit of whimsy into my art. I had fun with this painting.
Metamorphosis

oil and enamel spray paint on canvas, 48x48
This painting involves a novel and somewhat laborious technique. I wanted my rainbow shapes to appear spontaneously created, so hand drawing them seemed like a contradictory experience. So first I covered the entire canvas in a multi-colored, turpentine wash, After drying, I used a large jar of rubber cement and quickly poured it over the entire canvas in large, sweeping gestures. I let it dry, sprayed the entire canvas with white primer, peeled off the rubber cement when the paint dried, and revealed the rainbow form underneath. I then went back in and touched up the rainbow, adding the stencil designs and bubbles. I was surprised when I saw a butterfly emerge.
Dancing Bubbles

oil on canvas, 24x24
I begin by amplifying the initial abstract forms, allowing them to suggest ideas of their own--for instance, in this painting, a swirling shape evoked movement on a dance floor.
Emerging Rainbow

oil on canvas, 24x24
I experimented with different values for the rainbows and decided a more subdued palette was in order for this one.
Raining Bubbles

oil and enamel spray paint on canvas, 36x36
This painting was inspired by a photograph I took of a tile floor in a Vietnamese temple, and I used it to evoke feelings of spirituality in this painting.
Electric Rainbow

oil, enamel spray paint, on canvas, 36x36

This brightly colored amorphous form emerges from a computer circuit board. I almost called this painting R-AI-NBOW.
Headband

oil on canvas, 24x30
This painting is not the product of the spontaneous process used in other paintings. An actual rainbow-colored headband was the starting point. From there, it became larger than life, floating in an interior space.
Unfolding

oil, enamel spray paint, on canvas, 36x48
This is a brooch that belonged to my mother that is in fact about 3 inches long. Amplified against a grey and white stenciled backdrop, it seems to occupy a room.
Pretzel

two-paneled painting, oil and textured spray paint on canvas, 24x42
Bubbles and orbs punctuate sweeping textured and airbrushed surfaces, the format of the diptych breaking up the continuity of the forms.
Embrace

oil on two-panel painting, 24x42
This diptych presents two fields of abstract, rainbow-colored forms that extend toward each other across a visual divide. The shapes appear to reach out in a gesture of connection, their movement driven by color and rhythm rather than representation. Despite this gesture, the edges of the canvas halt the forms before any contact can occur, underscoring both the longing for authentic connections and the pain of a thwarted embrace.

A Breath of Fresh Air

These paintings, a continuation of the "contagion" series, were born out of media overload, excessive screen time, and the coronavirus pandemic. The past few years have been plagued by feelings of suffocation, as evidenced by the omnipresent mantra "I can't breathe," spurred by the tragic murder of George Floyd. Meanwhile, people on and off ventilators gasped for air as Covid tightened its grip on the vulnerable and subjected all of us to continual on and off-line bombardment and an overwhelming abundance of information that's impossible to digest--millions of bits of data that demand our attention as we grapple with the physical reality of airborne viruses, and the unseen, sometimes technology-driven forces that shape our daily existences. As the pandemic ebbs, we still search frantically for truth amidst this digital fallout and crave a pause in the chaos, a reprieve from the constant onslaught of fear, uncertainty, and disease, both physical and mental. Now, as we emerge from this dark period, there's a glimmer of hope in the limitless, unpolluted skies that we can retreat to in moments of angst. These most recent works depict the process I went through as I transitioned from feelings of congestion to feelings of decongestion and visually saw the spaces in my paintings start to open up ,creating a breath of fresh air.
As always, I am interested in the interplay of opposites and the depiction of diverse environments. I like visual enigmas and paradox. The surfaces of my paintings look like collage, but they are entirely painted. I like to allow for spontaneity in the choice of subject matter because by doing so, I am led to unexpected conclusions. Finally, I like presenting fragments of information that allow the viewers to connect the dots, expand their vision, and reflect on how the parts relate to the whole.

Cyberspace

The fumes from a can of spray paint are toxic, as is the constant onslaught of media bombardment. Escape lies in the sky, outside this realm of exposure. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, ballpoint pen, on canvas, 48x48
ICloud

In this visual representation of an abstract concept, the I Cloud appears as an island in the sky, amidst the detritus of media bombardment. Oil, gold leaf, textured spray paint, on canvas, 48x48
Patch of Blue

The robotic hand is almost nurturing as it gently caresses the purple leaves. Oil, gold leaf, textured spray paint, on canvas, 2024
Space

A robotic hand and an arrow indicate different ways out of a grab bag of visual non-sequiturs. Oil, gold leaf, textured spray paint, on canvas, 20x24
Escape

oil, gold leaf, textured spray paint, on canvas, 20x24
A robot hand points downwards to a chaotic assemblage with no common thread, as an alert sign lurks among the pile. Clearly the way out is to the patch of blue sky that hovers above. Oil, gold leaf, textured spray paint, on canvas, 20x44
At the Beach

oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, enamel paint, pearl pen, on canvas, 24x24
A whirlwind of debris encircles water, sky, and a beachball, a scene which suggests an escape from daily tedium and a return to leisure by connecting with sand, sea, and water. Oil, textured spray paint, enamel paint, metallic leaf, pearl pen, on canvas, 24x24
Bazaar

oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, on canvas, 36x36
A sliver of sky appears between a random assortment of of treasures and items of lesser value that one might see in a bazaar. A pendulum hovers above, signaling the time-worn tradition of acquiring material wealth. Escaping through the narrow opening, looms as a remote possibility. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, on canvas, 36x36
Aleve

oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, on canvas, 36x36
Surgical masks, a pulsating heart, bacterial growths, and medical labels all indicate the need for escape through the celestial portal. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, on canvas, 36x36
Adios

oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, on canvas, 48x72
Universal media blitz, in the form of clippings from French, Spanish, and Greek magazines clutters the sky as parasites, viruses, an bacteria lurk amongst them, the collective chaos heightening the need for escape to the sky above .Is the surgical needle a vaccine that offers hope or a syringe that promotes addiction? Oil, textured spray paint on canvas, 48x48
Cyberscape

Ironically, Silicon Valley was once known for its verdant farmland; nowadays it's a hub for technological advancements that have ultimately produced media glut. This transformation has reshaped the landscape from a place of genuine growth into a barren digital wasteland with a need for fresh air.
Oil, textured spray paint, on canvas, 48x48

Contagion

Escaping from one's environment is difficult if not impossible, so consciously or unconsciously what happens around me, becomes part of my art, and the prevalent factor lurking around me during the execution of these paintings, was the omnipresent coronavirus. Consequently, it became a catalyst for making paintings about contagion. In this project I continue to explore the interplay of opposites such as the use of amorphous, abstract, organic imagery versus the use of delineated, realistic, inorganic imagery. I also continue to work with diverse media such as oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, pearl pen, enamel paint, marker, colored pencil, and graphite, and diverse techniques such as brush painting, spray painting, stenciling, and drip painting. Although the surfaces look like collage, this is simply an illusion, as the surfaces are entirely painted and nothing is pasted on it. Though my original focus was on the coronavirus and its attendant associations (eg. clorox, masks, vaccinations), I soon extended my thinking to encompass other sorts of invasive forces such as the spread of bacteria, parasites, insect borne diseases, and the daily inundation of media negativity, all the while using a maximal palette in order to emphasize the all-inclusive nature of contagion, a vile force that takes on a life of its own and does not discriminate; since it touches everything, I did not want to limit the scope of its reach. It is another element in the panoply of daily life that disrupts routine existence as it lurks in the background ready to pounce.

Going Viral

In a futile gesture, a hammer tries to pound on airborne threats lurking in the air. Oil, metallic leaf, textured spray paint, on canvas, 36x36
Bugs

In addition to covid, stories about the 17-year-old cicadas and tick-borne diseases spread "fear" as they dominated the news in 2022 Oil, marker, metallic leaf, textured spray paint, on canvas, 36x36
Airborne

Zoom and cleaning products appeared as a remedies to airborne illnesses, but fear becomes the major vehicle of contagion, and Fauci becomes an arbiter of truth for some. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, marker, on canvas, 36x48
Fallout

Threatening the economy, a cluster of bacteria cells descend like a bomb over a major government building, benadryl appearing as an ineffective deterrent. Oil, pearl pen, metallic leaf, textured spray paint, on canvas, 36x48
Inoculation

oil, textured spray paint, on canvas, 36x48

There's something about a syringe plunging into the skin that's a universally repugnant image, and people around the world weighed in on the pros and cons of the mandated vaccine.
Clorox

A fried egg rests at the center of the canvas as the virus swirls around it and the water droplets take on a sickly green hue. Clorox emerges as a cure all. Oil, metallic leaf, textured spray paint, archival ink printed on canvas, 24x30
Helping Hand

A helping hand emerges from a black hole escaping from the presence of covid and lunging toward a vaccination. In the top right corner is a piece of my baby bracelet, a reference to the innocence of youth. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, marker, colored pencil, graphite, archival ink photographic print on paper, 17x20
Zoom

Bacteria, toxic green water, Clorox and Zoom all collide together in futile combat. A fragment of my baby bracelet is in the bottom right corner. Oil, marker, graphite, metallic leaf, pearl pen, ballpoint pen, archival ink photographic print on paper, 16x20
Bits and bots

oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, colored pencil, marker, archival ink, on paper, 16x20
The "helping hand" in this drawing is that of a robot, thus symbolizing that the battle against contagion is beyond human control. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, colored pencil, marker, archival ink, on paper, 16x20
Viral Portal

A portal offers a breath of fresh air, an escape from the contagion. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, marker, archival ink photographic print, on paper, 16x20

Awash

My intent in creating these paintings is to depict the diverse, often over-stimulated world in which we live and show both the positive and negative aspects of that world. I perceive daily life as both a collage of random elements that envelop us in a sort of digital fallout but also as a celebration of possibilities. By using a variety of colors, textures, shapes, and styles, I stretch the parameters of cohesiveness and create a sort of universal jigsaw, which creates harmony and chaos simultaneously. I chose as a title for this series, the word “awash,” which means “flooding,” “saturation,” “overflowing,” but the word “awash” also draws parallels with a washing machine, an appliance that blends together disparate elements in a rhythmic, cyclical, uniformity. The blending I use is three-fold. First there is a blending of content that includes literal and ambiguous images. Secondly there is a blending of diverse media such as spray paint, metallic leaf, oil paint liquid plastic, and glitter. Thirdly, there is a blending of diverse artistic processes such as brush painting, spray painting stenciling, dripping, and scraping through previous layers of paint. However, unlike the metaphor of a melting pot, which also serves as a symbol for diversity, a washing machine blends together contrastive forms while at the same time maintaining their separate identity.

Up Cycle

The idea for this painting emerged from the word "agitator" stamped inside a washing machine, where a swirling mix of unrelated objects formed an unexpected moment of harmony. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, on canvas, 48x72
Down Cycle

The swirling together of such random elements as a pepper, spaghetti, and magazine clippings suggests an uneasy cohesion. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, on canvas, 48x72
Cyclic

oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, pearl pen, glitter, on canvas, 36x36
Fragments of patterns, textures, and calendar clippings revolve in a circular motion, suggesting the passage of time and cyclical repetition. Set against the fixed backdrop of a Greek temple--an emblem of permanence and order--the swirling elements disrupt classical stability, collapsing past and present into a single, restless moment. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, pearl pen, glitter, on canvas, 36x36
Bubbles

Bubbles rise from a circular convergence of fabrics, text, and amorphous shapes, unified by the movement of water. Oil, metallic leaf, textured spray paint, on canvas, 36x36
Colors and Whites

The random assortment of items in a washing machine suggests permeability and transition, where language and material dissolve, circulate, and transform. Oil, metallic leaf, pearl pen, textured spray paint, on canvas, 24x24
Cyclical

More aggressive circular movement in this painting suggests agitation and chaos. Spanish, French, and English words create a feeling of universality. This painting also includes chess pieces--a universal symbol of rational thinking--perhaps a way out of the chaos. Oil, metallic leaf, pearl pen, textured spray paint, on canvas, 24x24
Don't Fence Me In

A refrain from the song "Don't Fence Me In" echoes amidst receding architectural structures, highlighting a need for escape. At the same, a computer cord searches for a power source, suggesting the need to connect. Oil, textured spray paint, oil on canvas, 36x36
Fabrics

Somewhat ironically, the key word "golden" emerges in a whirlpool of endlessly shifting scenarios, thus highlighting the fleeting nature of daily life cycles. Oil, silver leaf, gold leaf, pearl pen, textured spray paint, on canvas, 36x36
Carousel

The inner and outer circles are almost dizzying, like a carousel. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, pearl pen, on canvas, 24x24
Obsession

This small painting is awash with a variety of media. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, pearl pen, marker, colored pencil, on canvas, 20x20

Celebrations

CELEBRATIONS
In this series I explore different forms of celebration and the subsequent emotions they elicit such as excitement, radiance, gaiety, and over-exuberance. I combine a variety of media to create explosions of contrasting forms which, on the one hand, evoke digital age bombardment, but on the other hand, capture fleeting moments of joy and celebrate the creative process itself. I subscribe to a maximal approach that I believe reflects the current age in which we are living, an age in which one is presented with information faster than one can digest it, the result bringing about dual sensations of exhilaration and chaos. Although the paintings look like collage, they are, in fact, entirely painted. I use fragmented images, some of which resemble magazine or newspaper clippings and juxtapose these with undulating, amorphous, organic forms, simultaneously depicting the forces of creation and destruction. Paradoxically, these remnants --scraps from my personal space and the world at large--suggest the larger forms from which they came, allowing the fragment to stand in for the whole. The juxtaposition of air-brushed and textured surfaces also creates ambiguity, with the resulting tableau treading the thin line between tumult and celebration. I am Fascinated by the interplay of opposites and believe that when one shows contradictory elements back to back, one also suggests the territory that lies in between. It is this nebulous “in-between” territory that interests me, for it is this part that engages the viewer in the creative process.

Effervescence

An explosion of textured forms burst out of a glass of water, illustrating that a glass of water in the desert is truly something to celebrate. Oil, metallic leaf, glitter, textured spray paint, on canvas, 36x36
Celebration

This large photographic print on canvas that has been blocked out with gesso and "garnished" with oil-painted scraps, some of which came from remnants of images from the Creative Alliance. The painting is a tribute to the creative process itself. Oil, archival ink, metallic leaf, acrylic, on canvas, 36x36
Rainbow Splash

This painting, with explosive rainbow colors, was originally inspired by the massacre that took place in the Pulse nightclub, albeit not a cause for celebration, but a nod to the underlying concept of a celebration of diversity. Oil, metallic leaf, glitter, pearl pen, textured spray paint, on canvas, 36x36
Party

A birthday party, complete with pinwheels, ribbon, wrapping paper, and remnants of birthday cards, all bound together by flesh-colored forms symbolic of the human connection, captures a quintessential celebration. Oil, metallic leaf, glitter, on canvas, 36x36
Rainbow Unleashed

.
Iridescent bubbles and amorphous rainbow shapes explode out of a jar unleashing pent-up emotions that simulate the creative process and extol diversity. Oil, metallic leaf, on canvas, 24x24
Housewarming

Arabic tiles, upholstery, archways, marble stairs--a splash of elegance in a house awaiting a grand opening. Oil, gold leaf, textured spray paint, on canvas, 36x48
Thrills and Spills

Capturing the exhilaration of an amusement park ride, this painting celebrates fleeting moments of joy. Oil, textured spray paint, on canvas, 36x48
Bridal Bash

The backside of a button-down bridal gown seems to erupt with festivity as a glass shatters, suggesting the dangers of over-exuberance. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, glitter, on canvas, 36x48
Epiphany

Sometimes it's hard to break through an existence bound by the cyclical routine of calendars and the mundane tedium of legal pads. Pictured in the background is the ceiling of the Pantheon, a symbol of self-reflection and spiritual light, and the source of a sudden, profound, moment of insight. Epiphanies are fleeting manifestations of joy and wonder. Oil on canvas, 48x48
Dancing Rainbow

A rainbow shape with multi-colored ballet slippers seems to dance above a brown grid as it floats up to the sky, conveying a feeling of exhilaration and escape from the mundane. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, on canvas, 36x36

Un-Escapes

These paintings engage with disasters we hope to avoid yet inevitably encounter. They reflect moments of sudden rupture--unexpected events that interrupt daily life and expose our shared vulnerability, reminding us that instability is not an exception but a a condition we all navigate. These paintings deal with aversion to rather than immersion in creative realms. The creative catalyst for these paintings was the exploration of the apocalypse archetype and the inevitability of such manmade and natural disasters as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, crashes, explosions, and media bombardment. This is also the first time I am using amorphous, flesh-colored shapes that represent an undefined presence that acts as the human connection to these events. Because these shapes are ambiguous and not clearly delineated, they evoke an element of fear and in some cases, a fear of impending death--either physical death, or death of the creative spirit. This life-versus-death dichotomy sometimes appears on the canvas as splashes of color against black voids, its looming presence conveying a feeling of dread, while its thundering inevitability enriches the human spirit by reminding us of our finite existence and therefore shaping individual identity. In this sense, I embrace the existential doctrine of Albert Camus who states, "suffering tells me I exist." My intention is not to shroud a negative event in tragedy, but instead to show its complicity in the life cycle. In that sense, the paintings perpetuate the cycle of destruction and creation. They function as a sort of Hindu triumvirate, or a Phoenix rising again from its own immolation.

Storm

Oil on canvas, 36 X 36
Not only does this painting refer to a storm, but it is also refers to a recent volcanic eruption in the Volcanic National Park in Hawaii. As liquid continues to pour forth, lava hardens in the foreground of an apocalyptic scene. Bubbles rise from the surface, suggesting the fleeting nature of such a disaster. Oil on canvas, 36x36.
Crash

Depicted here is a test crash with exploding airbags, pieces of a crash dummy, and other debris. Oil on canvas, 36x36
Apocalypse

The insidious spilling forth of toxic liquids on our structured surfaces is reminiscent of urban blight. Oil on canvas, 24x24
Earthquake

The three divisions and subsequent mis-alignments depicted in this painting emulate the shifting of tectonic plates that one experiences in an earthquake. Oil on canvas, 36x36
Twister

The writhing blend of random elements suggests the random and unpredictable nature of a twister disaster. Oil, metallic leaf, on canvas, 24x30
Wrecking Ball

The headlines in two Lancaster, Pennsylvania newspapers--The New Era, and The Intelligencer Journal--featured a local building being destroyed by a wrecking ball. The following year the urban scenery was revamped, and a "phoenix" rose from its ashes. Disasters also allow for the possibility of new growth. Oil on canvas, 24x24
Blitz

Chaos and confusion is the aftermath of many disasters. The white sheet at the center functions as a winding cloth perhaps covering a victim of continual warfare. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, chalkboard paint, spray enamel paint, pearl pen, on canvas, 30x36
Clogged Drain

oil paint on archival ink print, 36x36
Yes, a drain clogged with grease, egg shells, and the remnants of uneaten food, does constitute a domestic disaster. Oil on photographic canvas print, 36x36
Barriers

The inescapable event here is more of a psychological one--the feeling of being overwhelmed and needing to flee, the lure of suicide, or the fear of venturing into the unknown. Oil, enamel paint, metallic leaf, pearl pen, textured spray paint, on canvas, 30x40
I Pad

Unavoidable, is the growing reliance on technology and media-driven devices. Pictured here is a robotic "helping hands," suggesting that humans are no longer in control. A vacuum hose sucks the viewer into the scene as the IPad dissolves into the ICloud. Oil, textured spray paint, metallic leaf, on canvas, 36x48

Interior-Scapes

As the word "interior" suggests, these paintings deal with scenes within well-defined boundaries. These boundaries could be a box, a hallway, or a room. I was inspired by my gadget drawer--something most of us have at home, a sort of catch all for odds and ends. This drawer, unlike the cutlery drawer or the medicine cabinet, is characterized by its randomness and may contain typical household items such as matches and measuring tape or detritus such as gum wrappers and pieces of ribbon. Ironically, this assortment of disparate objects blends together in a way that makes perfect sense. Open the drawer, and it tells a story; it presents a personal, haphazard glimpse of its owner. Even in the frenzied assortment of random stuff, there's a sort of harmony. Metaphorically, a gadget drawer is the reflection of the subconscious in that the dream world also abounds in diverse symbols and bits of information that link together to form seemingly logical connections. Likewise, in waking life we are bombarded with scraps of information from the digital age in which we live. Because this digital fallout is incomplete and held together by tenuous threads, the viewer must "connect the dots" and finish the narrative. My goal in creating these pictures is to stretch the parameters of cohesiveness while at the same time maintaining pictorial harmony. The scraps in my pictures come from whatever happens to be in my immediate environment at a given time. I then use this information to craft an interior landscape and promote an open-ended dialog.

In the Closet

oil on canvas, 39 X 39
The closet depicted here shows a jumble of assorted garments and scraps of patterned paper, all showing a lack of spatial or sequential organization. Oil on canvas, 39x39
Bazaar

This painting depicts a random assortment of items bought at souks in Morocco, recycling shops in Japan, and flea markets in America--all distant echoes of the time-worn archetype of the marketplace, and its historical inception on the Silk Road. Oil on canvas, 36x36
Dressing Room

This painting offers a furtive glimpse into the haphazard interior of a dressing room, the tag still on one of the garments. Oil and gold leaf on canvas, 24x30
On the Table

At any given moment, an abundance of photographs, scrapbook paper, magazine clippings adorn my studio table, all becoming regular fodder for my paintings. Oil on canvas, 24x24
In the Bedroom

Objects inside and outside bedroom drawers all become exposed in this scene. Oil on canvas, 24 X 24
In the Jewelry Box

Items inside and outside a jewelry box occupy the parameters of this painting. Oil, metallic leaf, on canvas, 24x24
Office Space

oil, metallic leaf, on canvas, 20x20
Sunday night in bed, a common scene unfolds: burning the midnight oil under the light of a stand-up lamp, in a rush to complete daily lesson plans. Oil, metallic leaf, on canvas, 20x20
Hallway

oil on canvas 24 X 24
A vacuum is cleaning up the clutter in a hallway that leads up a stairs.
Living Room

Remnants of a violin and piano occupy this space that also doubles as a music room. Oil on canvas, 36x36
Dining Room

oil on canvas panel, 18x36
This painting replicates exact items found in my dining room: Japanese/Korean furniture, Moroccan tiles and carpets, louvered doors, and a brass vase. Oil on canvas panel, 18x36

Remnants

Remnants. They are pieces of something else; they are incomplete; they are vehicles to larger ideas, like words are pieces of language and numbers are pieces of mathematical equations. The scraps in these paintings function in much the same way as Lichtenstein's dots, Pollack's drips, or Davis's stripes in that they are quarks--small particles that combine to make a whole of something, but paradoxically, evoke ideas of destruction, a ripping apart of something, a digital disintegration. Webster's Unabridged Dictionary defines a remnant as "a trace, a last remaining indication of what has been," so the viewer must connect the dots to fill in the empty spaces and find closure. These "dots" are pieces of a fragmented universe, functioning simultaneously as by-products of information smog as well as archetypal motifs. In the process of connecting the dots, a scrap becomes the seed from which subsequent ideas are generated. They facilitate multifarious perspectives, but because of their incompleteness, they allow for limitless dialog. South African artist William Kentridge believes that "it is the job of the artist to smash the vase and then fashion something coherent out of the shards." These shards are arbitrary remnants of information that are "reprocessed on the canvas and reprocessed again by the viewer, thus perpetuating the cycle of creation and destruction.

Party Animals

The movement on the composition parallels the movement in a musical composition. The band is a motley assortment of human and animal fragments. This painting exemplifies my early technique. Oil on canvas, 36X48
Peacock

In this painting the peacock admires her "feathers," snippets of high-end fashion, in a mirror and thus becomes a symbol of vanity. Oil, 24x36, on canvas
Aborigine

A portrait is not a static thing, but should peal away layers of the subject's personality, which are composites of a multitude of thoughts and feelings. Aborigine contrasts masculine/feminine, inner/outer personas, indigenous and acquired identities, and race. Oil, 16x20, on canvas
Broadway

Broadway depicts different aspects of theatrical productions--singing, dancing, gestures, expressions, humility and spunk. Oil, 18x24, on canvas
Cat Woman

oil, metallic leaf, on canvas, 32x40

If this woman could speak, what would she say? Would she purr or roar? The Jungian archetype of the cat suggests mystery and independence. In the painting, wild cats are juxtaposed with domesticated cats, and there's a virginal bride on the outside and Victoria's secret on the inside. The clippings from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof suggest another interpretation.
Elephant in the Room

Remnants need to be pieced together to form understanding. For example, is there literally an elephant in the room? Does the bride look like an elephant, or is there something glaringly obvious in this scene that no one wants to discuss? Is the meaning related to the phrase "white elephant" and suggestive of something expensive but without equivalent value? Oil on canvas, 32x40
Bully

The bull is an interesting archetype. In the ancient Sumerian epic Gilgamesh, the bull is a symbol of strength. but in the context of Wall Street, it means something quite different. The figure in this painting is like a minotaur, yet he holds a cell phone and smokes a cigarette. The cell phone, glasses, and red fingernail polish do not conform to the stereotype of the bull. Meaning can be derived by making sense of the paradox. Oil on canvas, 18x36
Pig

oil on canvas, 18x36
Corpulence, money, pearls, pig legs--metaphorically or literally--all suggest greed. Oil, on canvas, 18x36
Lion and Tiger

The lion and tiger are two animals that vie for dominance in the animal kingdom, and in this painting they represent the ongoing warfare between Palestine and Israel. Despite the religious garments and scripture which would indicate a higher moral authority, there is not a peaceful co-existence between these two entities. Oil, on canvas, 36x48
Mermaid with Goggles

The mermaid is the vamp archetype. Interestingly, this vamp is half submerged, straddling the conscious and unconscious realms, engaged in the seemingly pragmatic task of swimming, as suggested by the goggles on her head. Oil, on canvas, 15x30

Baker Artist Portfolios

Login

Menu

Cindy Mehr's portfolio

Visual Arts - 2D

Work samples

Share:

About Cindy