Arts On Douglas Gallery
A Woman’s Prerogative: Works by Christine Peloquin
March 5 – 26, 2022
Opening: Saturday, March 5, 4 to 7 pm
123 Douglas St. New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
About the Exhibition
Christine Peloquin is known for her mixed-media paintings, which combine drawing and painting on fabric and paper collage, depicting women, children, and landscapes. For Peloquin's fourth solo exhibition at Arts on Douglas, she has found literary inspiration that has influenced her to create a new series of expressive paintings of and about women.
About this body of work, Peloquin explains, "In 2021, I read 10 books by women authors that resonated with me so deeply, that their writings began to profoundly change me and my art practice. I was so inspired, I wanted to create characters and portraits that would exemplify the authors’ ideas and concepts.” As she reflected on the insights of these literary works, she carefully selected quotes that inspired her and then created a painting to reveal her interpretation. For the exhibition, Peloquin will include the quotes alongside the paintings so the viewer can contemplate the relationship. “I wanted to make the authors’ words visual, so I could discuss them in my language, through my medium.”
The books inspired Peloquin in diverse ways and this can be seen in her unique approach to each painting. For example, in the piece titled Let it Burn, Peloquin creates a four-panel mixed-media acrylic and charcoal collage that, combined, depicts a portrait of a strong and confident woman. For this piece, Peloquin was inspired by American author and activist, Glennon Doyle’s book Untamed, in which the last line reads,
“A woman who is full of herself knows and trusts herself enough to say and do what must be done. She lets the rest burn.”
In contrast, Peloquin’s piece titled Solace is a more somber portrait. Instead of collage, she opted to create a realistic oil painting with radiant angled lighting, highlighting the profile of a pensive woman reclining in a bath. The quote that inspired this piece was from Susan Monk Kidd’s, The Book of Longings,
“All my life, longings lived inside of me, rising up like nocturnes to wail and sing through the night.”
As a whole, the paintings in this exhibition capture a range of emotions and expressions, from quirky and playful to quiet and contemplative, showing a wide arc of emotional qualities. Both the literary works and her paintings “are about unlearning the stories of women that have been told through a patriarchal lens for centuries, and replace it with a new narrative, from a woman’s point of view.”
A Woman's Prerogative
“Your moment will come because you'll make it come.”
― Sue Monk Kidd, The Book of Longings
Artists are often asked to write artist statements describing in detail, the meaning and specificity of their work. Where lies your inspiration? Most artists, including myself, recoil when asked to perform this task. One, if we were as proficient with the written word as we are with creating visual pieces, we would write a book instead. And two, some concepts are simply just poetry that cannot be explained in any other medium.
I have painted women and my children for years, explaining that these subjects are autobiographical, but I would get stymied trying to express the why. The words wouldn’t come. What came through my work was feelings and emotions and longings.
In 2021, I read 10 books that resonated with me so deeply that I found their work profoundly changing me and my art. I was so moved and inspired by these genius women authors, that I wanted to pass out recommended reading lists to anyone who would listen. I wanted to quit all my day jobs and become a podcast interviewer just so I could talk with them all. I wanted to become an activist and scream from the roof tops. I want to share their words.
I also wanted to make these women’s words become visual, so I could discuss them in my language. I had to find a way to incorporate these words and revelations into my work and yet share them as the authors intended. So I have collected quotes from these masterpieces and displayed them with the pieces inspired by them. I implore you to read these women geniuses’ works in their entirety. They are amazing. I will have links on my web site.
These are books about women’s and marginalized peoples’ stories of trauma, courage, and healing. They are about unlearning the stories that women and minorities have been told thru a patriarchal lens for centuries and using that new perspective and strength to create a new narrative.
“As a culture, we’ve learned a lot about division, loss, and change. Yet when all else falls away, we have our stories and we have one another. Full stop. My hope is that as you read each person’s vulnerable truth, you’ll be given courage to share your own. As you remember the confusion, shame, and fear of a moment when, unsuspectingly, your world turned upside down, like it did for me with my yellow legal pad pressed to my chest, you will take a chance and share it, perhaps with someone who looks nothing like you. You’ll see first-hand what I mean by magic. I believe in my bones that authentic storytelling is a radical act of love that can connect and heal our fractured world. For it to work, we need your story too. Together, we rise.”
- Hungry Hearts: Essays on Courage, Desire and Belonging-- Jennifer Rudolph Walsh (Editor)
My recommended reading list in no specific order:
Hungry Hearts: Essays on Courage, Desire and Belonging-- Jennifer Rudolph Walsh (Editor)
Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes― Elizabeth Lesser
The Book of Longings― Sue Monk Kidd
Untamed― Glennon Doyle
The Choice: Embrace the Possible― Edith Eger
The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World― Melinda Gates
The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience ― Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton
What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing― Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents― Isabel Wilkerson
Mating in Captivity: Sex, Lies and Domestic Bliss― Esther Perel