Amy Kreiger: Virtual Portraits: Paintings and Drawings

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio—7 October 2009—Notre Dame College’s Department of Art will present the paintings of artist Amy Kreiger opening October 22, 2009 with a reception from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The exhibit entitled "Virtual Portraits" represents the recent work of this young artist who is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree in studio art at American University in Washington, D. C. The exhibit will remain open through December 10th in the College’s Performing Arts Center.

Kreiger creates life-size figural paintings that capture unique personalities in contemporary culture. The paintings display fine technical skills that represent a combination of drawing and painting. Each work is bold in color and texture featuring both painting and colored pencil techniques. The images have an immediacy that disguises Kreiger’s unique approach to portraiture. Kreiger uses the social network, myspace.com, to post bulletins and/or messages asking recipients to dress their personalities through clothing, props and accessories.  She receives photographs from friends and MySpace members locally, nationally and internationally. She distinguishes the personalities conveyed through each model’s unique physiognomy by studying the virtual identity suggested in the photographs she receives. Kreiger says, “I am most interested in the human form and personality. I am drawn to people and the way they express themselves within contemporary culture. My work bridges painting and drawing. The painted surfaces, followed by colored pencil, add a unique texture and balance.”

The artist will present ten of her large scale portraits in the gallery in an informal display technique. Kreiger leaves her canvases unstretched and hung by grommets in a banner-like manner intended to honor each of her subjects. The images feature young adults in casual poses with all the accessories and trappings of the young adult population; hats, sunglasses and tattoos. “As a portraitist, I am left to interpret information and question the subject’s self-expression. I see my approach as paralleling the Roman veristic portrait tradition in that I adhere to the assumption that physiognomy plays a crucial role in revealing the subject’s true character.” She feels that her display method honors the subject in the same way that the Roman tradition of parading death masks of deceased relatives commemorated Roman ancestors.

The gallery is open Monday through Friday from noon to 6:00 p.m. except College holidays.

Notre Dame College is located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid. For further information contact Rachel Morris, associate professor of fine arts, at 216.373.5320 or rmorris@ndc.edu.

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Notre Dame College, a Catholic institution in the tradition of the Sisters of Notre Dame, educates a diverse population in the liberal arts for personal, professional and global responsibility. NDC offers bachelor’s degrees in 29 disciplines plus interdisciplinary programs and self-designed majors. A master’s degree in education and a teacher certification program are available as well as continuing and professional development programs for adult learners and one of greater Cleveland’s oldest weekend colleges. Notre Dame College offers 21 athletic programs for men and women, including football, which debuted in fall 2009.