Artist D'Shon McCarthy

D'Shon McCarthy is a self-portrait figurative painter from Salisbury, Maryland, and practices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Salisbury University where she studied painting, and is currently getting her Master of Fine of Arts degree at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts for painting as well.

McCarthy focuses on the self, the strange and the complexities of adapting to change as she strives to open a conversation about the intensity that comes with growth.

"Mark making itself is a subconscious practice. Studying these marks allow me to notice when I am nervous, or when I am my most free, leading me to ask, am I really in control of even my most personal paintings? The complexity of my own psyche is an interest that I aim to dive deeper into in order to gain more understanding of the canvas. My paintings are my vulnerabilities represented through self-portraiture and therefore self-reflection, as I grow into an individual. I use the figure as an inspiration point to create a frame of reference, combined through multiple reference imagery. Surrounding the figure are symbolic objects, all representing my personhood. Specific areas that are tightly rendered, and loose, gestural marks all work in juxtaposition with posed figures of different sizes. The combination of traditionally rendered figures with the conceptual atmosphere coheres as they give insight into a subconscious playing field. By exploring themes of change, death, desire, and self-reflection, I strive to open a conversation about the intensity of life that comes with growth. My paintings highlight the self, the strange and the complexities of adapting to change. I position figures in peculiar settings that seem familiar, their actions cooperating with a dream- like atmosphere filled with vibrancy and intensity. Comparison between the scale of the self- portraits and neighboring symbolic objects allow for themes of the surreal to come forward. Tightly rendered areas contrasted by loosely depicted sectioned allows for the eye to see just as much as I deem important and the room for gestural movements creates the space for imagination."

Tell us a little about yourself (where you are from) and your background in the arts.

I am from Salisbury, Maryland and I received my Bachelors of Fine Arts from Salisbury University, concentrating on painting. I have always practiced some from of art, ranging from manga in middle school and a Visual Arts Program in high-school, where I fell in love with paint.

What kind of work are you currently making?

I am currently working on a body of work that challenges the dichotomy between the self and the subconscious. I use the self portrait as a gateway into a different realm of vision; allowing quick and intuitive marks to be undefined while juxtaposing the figurative realism of the self. These large scale paintings are also making their way into different spaces and languages of creation, caused by my curiosity about installation and video making.

My main focus is to challenge what it means to have an identity that includes the everyday, the body, as well as the way I shape my identity through a presence I don't always see.

What is a day like in the studio for you?

I usually stay in my studio for hours; a disciplined schedule of everyday at 8:30am sharp, until 3:00pm. I work on multiple pieces at once, whether that be actually jumping from painting to painting, or planning through sketches for the next.

Studio time also means to read, and research contemporary artist's I feel are doing something similar to me, or who are doing things much different in hopes I take something away from them I may not have expected. Sitting in front of my work is also very important for my practice; it is a time for calculating next moves, or just for a moment of contemplation.

What are you looking at right now and/or reading?

I have been investigating the works of Cecily Brown and Jennifer Packer for about a year now and I am not quite done. Packer had a show and interview, "The Eye is Not Satisfied with Seeing" at the Whitney in 2019 that I have been watching almost every week for a year and a half. "Powers of Horror", by Julia Kristeva is my recent favorite, as I am interested in the grotesque nature of the human body and it's impact on how I define the self.

Where can we find more of your work? (ex. website/insta/gallery/upcoming shows)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dshonmccarthy/