Eileen Dorsey – Artist Statement
For “Out of the Shadows” painter Eileen Dorsey presents a collection of work created in the past three years. Dorsey has been a fixture in the Cleveland art scene for nearly a decade—best known for her wildly colorful and pigment-heavy forest scenes and landscapes. But in “Out of the Shadows” the artist takes a courageously bold step out of her comfort zone. Moving far beyond traditional landscape painting, the subject matter presented here delves into much deeper realms—reflecting the tumult of pain and loss, living through a global pandemic, and persevering.
Dorsey has always used color to express feeling, and in unusual ways – quickly laying down the scene to capture her feelings at that moment. Perhaps it’s only fitting that those spontaneous sessions led her all the way to full abstraction. Some of the paintings in this show were painted “live”, allowing the artist to gesturally create abstract works literally in the moment. Her movements and mark-making reflect her mood at the time, rhythmically dancing across the surface of the canvas. Other works in the show read more easily as landscapes, but with colors almost uneasy in their juxtapositions, jarring and unnatural.
And for the first time in many years Dorsey returns to her figurative roots: masked faces peer out of the shadows, bodies twist and contort, friends beam with confidence, others stare blankly into the void. Dorsey’s use of the figure is certainly a departure, but in many ways it can be seen as an extension of her abstract studies. High-keyed colors are used to express emotion and hidden symbols abound.
A number of paintings in the show were created in collaboration with graffiti collage artist, Garrett Weider. The two passed the paintings back and forth to each other’s studio to complete the works. Weider’s hard-lined style paired with Dorsey’s colorful foliage results in surprising compositions—with spray painted elements, hand-drawn lines, and even some tongue-in-cheek humor, again with these collaborative works Dorsey pushes herself into unknown realms, but in the end emerges out of the shadows.
Feinberg Art Gallery in Cain Park is located at 14591 Superior Rd, 44118 Cleveland Heights. The entrance is in the Alma Courtyard, which is closest to the Lee Rd entrance.