The Emerging Artist Series
Things I Wish I Could Say but Sometimes I Am Afraid
A Solo Exhibition of Works by Mara Cressey
See the Problem? Faux Magazine Ad
Woah there, Tammy! Faux Magazine Ad
No, yeah, no, I’m not upset! Faux Magazine Ad
I never thought I was interesting enough for Esther and Marge until now!
Reminiscing in Dead Dreams (I think I’ve changed)
i’m going to eat it so you might as well get used to it (2)
Oh Sorry! Faux Magazine Ad
I’m everything (Rebellion baby)
My So-Called Antithesis Seeks Harmony
Yeah no yeah I don’t actually like that kindYeah no yeah I don’t actually like that kind
Don’t Break the Bathroom Chain (Let Women Live!!!)
i’m going to eat it so you might as well get used to it
Artist Statement
I sometimes find myself riddled with unexpected anxiety and regret in social situations; I overthink the interactions that occur, wish I had come across as more clever or articulate, and wonder if I’ve said something that might affect others’ opinions of me. In my practice, I create a space for and display a less awkward, more assured version of myself; one that is accurate and true but seldom at the surface. In doing this, I am constructing an alter ego that emerges at unforeseen times and manifests itself permanently within my work. I compose pieces in which honest, “stream of consciousness” thoughts, actions, and ideas can be freely yet consciously exhibited through figurative painting and writing. My work is mindfully confrontational, a genuine and all-encompassing reflection of the self.
Mara Cressey is a Missouri-based artist with a BFA in Figurative Studies from Fontbonne University in St. Louis. She is currently an MFA candidate at Missouri State University in Springfield. She works mainly in oil paint, combining a childhood tendency to create characters with conceptual ideas relating to unexpected duality, feminine expectation, and an ambiguous sense of self.