artist statement
My art practice is multi-disciplinary, focusing on appearance and form as much as the message. Through colorful neon, paintings, videos, projections and bold wallpaper installations, my art documents the way people communicate today. Visually, language and type are filled with abstract beauty and conceptual depth; words and phrases become visualized. My decorative paintings and deceptive wallpapers conceal contemporary phrases using domestic patterning, which deal with thoughts we all share, phrases that are current to our society and mankind’s ability to communicate. In addition, combining video and sound to create installations reflects my fascination with how our relationships take place in our everyday life, hovering between humor and desperation.
I aim to research and explore the intricacies of human communication, exposing the dysfunctional expectations of our society, hoping to make a social impact. Our world has recently shifted to an overwhelmingly digital space, and more than ever we are a disjointed culture, constantly online and lacking true connections. I am looking to make people aware of the issues that take place within ‘our private’ space and bring these issues forward to ‘the public’ space. My research and influence as a graphic designer allow for visual exploration, while the underlying meanings are thoughtful. Social media and pop culture references add to the relatability of every piece. The work allows for the viewer to take a picture and post for their social media, though the text is telling them to “put their phone away.” The irony of the audience reaction amplifies the art’s meaning.
biography
Mary Jo McGonagle holds an MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a BFA from the School of Visual Arts. She is the principal and founder of McGonagle Fine Art and Neon Works. She is an award-winning artist who has shown internationally, is a contributing artist to many public projects in the Northeast, and her paintings and neon can be found in many private and corporate collections around the world. Her work has been endorsed in such publications as The New York Times, New American Painter, Artnet.com, Art New England and New England Home. Her clients have included: Conde Nast Corporate, Macton Corporation, Core Environmental, Grapevine Technology, GQ, Glamour, United Media and Holland Advertising. She was recognized in the April/May 2011 issue of New American Painter and nominated for the 2012 Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant. She has taught at Southern Connecticut State University, Connecticut State Community College, Norwalk & Gateway, University of Bridgeport, Fairfield University, Anhui Polytechnic College & Ludong University in China, College of the Mount St. Vincent, Mitchell College and Silvermine Art Center in Norwalk, where she is a guild member. She has gallery representation in NYC, Boston, and Tel Aviv, Israel for her conversational paintings and neon.